Modeling of relationships between economic performance and environmental quality by SOM and growing hierarchical SOM - The case of the Czech Republic regions

Abstract

The relationships between economic performance and environmental quality are complex. Therefore, we develop a model using self-organizing map (SOM) to visualize and investigate the relationships. This paper presents a design of economic and environmental parameters which characterize the regions of the Czech Republic. Based on these parameters we design models which are related to economic performance and environment. Using the SOM, it is possible to look for connections of economic performance and environmental quality of individual regions in the Czech Republic in the monitored period 2007-2010. The modeling as such is realized, in addition to SOM, also by a growing hierarchical self-organizing map (GHSOM) which models hierarchical relationships in input data, too.