Traffic networks [chapter]

Kai Nagel
2004 Handbook of Graphs and Networks  
Transportation systems are complex dynamical systems whose dynamics unfolds on networks as the spatial substrate. Early approaches to the problem have similarities to the computation of equilibrium current flow in electrical networks, with the main difference that in traffic the particles have fixed destinations. These steady state approaches are unrealistic when describing more complex aspects of the dynamics, which is why time-dependent microscopic models are introduced. Such models resemble
more » ... ypical molecular dynamics simulations, except that the spatial substrate is a graph instead of flat space, and particles are "intelligent". Both aspects are discussed in detail, the latter meaning that one has to go far beyond physics and into the area of human behavior and human learning. Another network aspect is the network of interaction between objects in the simulation, where these objects are not only travelers, but also traffic signals, traffic management centers, etc. For fast large scale simulations, one employs distributed computers, and mapping these interactions on the computational system is critical for high computing performance.
doi:10.1002/3527602755.ch11 fatcat:5clkhcoiu5gzfkrcoidzdg6e54