01571nas a2200181   4500008004100000245005600041210005600097260000700153490000600160520105400166100002101220700002001241700001801261700002001279700002101299700002801320856004101348       2015                        eng d00aReturners and explorers dichotomy in human mobility0 aReturners and explorers dichotomy in human mobility  c090 v63 aThe availability of massive digital traces of human whereabouts has offered a series of novel insights on the quantitative patterns characterizing human mobility. In particular, numerous recent studies have lead to an unexpected consensus: the considerable variability in the characteristic travelled distance of individuals coexists with a high degree of predictability of their future locations. Here we shed light on this surprising coexistence by systematically investigating the impact of recurrent mobility on the characteristic distance travelled by individuals. Using both mobile phone and GPS data, we discover the existence of two distinct classes of individuals: returners and explorers. As existing models of human mobility cannot explain the existence of these two classes, we develop more realistic models able to capture the empirical findings. Finally, we show that returners and explorers play a distinct quantifiable role in spreading phenomena and that a correlation exists between their mobility patterns and social interactions.1 aPappalardo, Luca1 aSimini, Filippo1 aRinzivillo, S1 aPedreschi, Dino1 aGiannotti, Fosca1 aBarabasi, Albert-Laszlo  uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9166