Hysteresis phenomenon in deterministic traffic flows (Q2583187)

Collection of particles moving along a straight line according to their velocities and the law describing how those velocities are changing is called the traffic flow. Theoretical analysis of traffic flow phenomena has been described by hydrodynamic models in analogy to the dynamics of viscous fluid. To overcome some difficulties of these models now and in the reviewed article cellular automata models are used. The author introduces basic notions connected with the traffic jam, and its characteristics such as a basin of attraction and a life-time and derives results describing their exact values as functions of a given configuration. The suggested model of traffic flow is a generalization of the known Nagel-Schreckenberg model and has two distinct ergodic unmixed phases with two critical values. The author investigates the behaviour of traffic flow below, between and above these critical values together with stability analysis of solutions.