A space-time nonlocal traffic flow model: relaxation representation and local limit (Q6165960)

This paper deals with nonlocal conservation law modeling traffic flow \[ \rho_t(t, x) + (\rho(t, x)v(q(t, x)))_0 = 0, \qquad x \in\mathbb{R},\> t > 0, \] where \[ q(t, x) =\int_0^\infty\rho(t - \gamma s, x + s)w(s) ds, \] \(\rho\in[0, 1]\) is the traffic density, and the nonlocal quantity \(q(t,x)\) is a weighted average of \(\rho(t^*,x^*)\) along the space-time path \(t^* =t-\gamma s,\) \(x^* =x+s\), with an averaging kernel \(w(s).\) The vehicle velocity \(v = v(q)\) depends on the nonlocal traffic density \(q\) through a decreasing function \(v\). The authors prove \begin{itemize} \item the existence of Lipschitz continuous solutions using a fixed point argument combined with the method of characteristics; \item the well-posedness of the Cauchy problem in the setting of weak solutions; \item the compactness with respect to \(\varepsilon\) of the solutions in correspondence of the rescaled kernels \(w_\varepsilon(s) = \varepsilon^{-1}w(s/\varepsilon)\); \item a characterization of the limit solution. \end{itemize}