Numerical measures of segregation: desirable properties and their implications

This paper proposes seven properties for a 'good' measure of segregation, and derives the class of numerical measures that corresponds to these properties. Measures in this class can be explicitly linked to segregation curves, much like numerical measures of income inequality can be explicitly Linked to Lorenz curves. The paper evaluates the dissimilarity and Gini segregation indexes from the perspective of the seven properties, and introduces an alternative index - the square root index. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.