Modelling widely scattered states in ‘synchronized’ traffic flow and possible relevance for stock market dynamics

Traffic flow at low densities (free traffic) is characterized by a quasi-one-dimensional relation between traffic flow and vehicle density, while no such fundamental diagram exists for ‘synchronized’ congested traffic flow. Instead, a two-dimensional area of widely scattered flow-density data is obs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physica A 2002, Vol.303 (1), p.251-260
Main Authors: Helbing, Dirk, Batic, Davide, Schönhof, Martin, Treiber, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Fluctuations
Stock market
Synchronized congested flow
Traffic dynamics
Volatility
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Summary:Traffic flow at low densities (free traffic) is characterized by a quasi-one-dimensional relation between traffic flow and vehicle density, while no such fundamental diagram exists for ‘synchronized’ congested traffic flow. Instead, a two-dimensional area of widely scattered flow-density data is observed as a consequence of a complex traffic dynamics. For an explanation of this phenomenon and transitions between the different traffic phases, we propose a new class of molecular-dynamics like microscopic traffic models based on times to collisions and discuss the properties by means of analytical arguments. Similar models may help to understand the laminar and turbulent phases in the dynamics of stock markets as well as the transitions among them.
ISSN:0378-4371
1873-2119
DOI:10.1016/S0378-4371(01)00483-6