Rigorous derivation of nonlinear scalar conservation laws from follow-the-leader type models via many particle limit (Q2354695)

The authors prove that the unique entropy solution to a scalar nonlinear conservation law with strictly monotone velocity and nonnegative initial condition can be rigorously obtained as the large particle limit of a microscopic follow-the-leader type model, which is interpreted as the discrete Lagrangian approximation of the nonlinear scalar conservation law. The result holds for a reasonably general class of velocity maps (including all the relevant examples in the applications, e.g., in the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards model for traffic flow) with possible degenerate slope near the vacuum state. The proof of the result is based on discrete BV estimates and on a discrete version of the one-sided Oleinik-type condition. In particular, one proves that the regularizing effect for nonlinear scalar conservation laws is intrinsic of the discrete model.