Old standards based on arbitrary authority or local traditions were replaced with mathematical and natural relationships.

基于任意权威或当地传统的旧标准被数学和自然关系所取代。

But there are other kinds of mathematical relationships too, with curvy lines when you plot them on a graph, which we call non-linear.

但两个变量间还可能是非线性关系，那么图像就可能会是一条曲线。

So, for example, a social network between people within the city grows in a mathematical relationship with the increase in the size and quality of infrastructure, such as roads, power lines and the like.

例如城里人之间的社会网络的递增与城市基础设施的规模和品质的递增呈正比，例如道路，输电线等等。