Introduction to Modern Traffic Flow Theory and Control: The Long Road to Three-Phase Traffic Theory / Edition 1

by Boris S. Kerner

Overview

The understanding of empirical traffic congestion occurring on unsignalized mul- lane highways and freeways is a key for effective traffic management, control, or- nization, and other applications of transportation engineering. However, the traffic flow theories and models that dominate up to now in transportation research journals and teaching programs of most universities cannot explain either traffic breakdown or most features of the resulting congested patterns. These theories are also the - sis of most dynamic traffic assignment models and freeway traffic control methods, which therefore are not consistent with features of real traffic. For this reason, the author introduced an alternative traffic flow theory called three-phase traffic theory, which can predict and explain the empirical spatiot- poral features of traffic breakdown and the resulting traffic congestion. A previous book “The Physics of Traffic” (Springer, Berlin, 2004) presented a discussion of the empirical spatiotemporal features of congested traffic patterns and of three-phase traffic theory as well as their engineering applications. Rather than a comprehensive analysis of empirical and theoretical results in the field, the present book includes no more empirical and theoretical results than are necessary for the understanding of vehicular traffic on unsignalized multi-lane roads. The main objectives of the book are to present an “elementary” traffic flow theory and control methods as well as to show links between three-phase traffic t- ory and earlier traffic flow theories. The need for such a book follows from many comments of colleagues made after publication of the book “The Physics of Traffic” .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642026041
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	09/28/2009
Edition description:	2009
Pages:	265
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

Three-Phase Traffic Theory.- Definitions of The Three Traffic Phases.- Nature of Traffic Breakdown at Bottleneck.- Infinite Number of Highway Capacities of Free Flow at Bottleneck.- Nature of Moving Jam Emergence.- Origin of Hypotheses and Terms of Three-Phase Traffic Theory.- Spatiotemporal Traffic Congested Patterns.- II Impact of Three-Phase Traffic Theory on.- to Part II:Compendium of Three-Phase Traffic Theory.- Freeway Traffic Control based on Three-Phase Traffic Theory.- Earlier Theoretical Basis of Transportation Engineering: Fundamental Diagram Approach.- Three-Phase Traffic Flow Models.- Linking of Three-Phase Traffic Theory and Fundamental Diagram Approach to Traffic Flow Modeling.- Conclusions and Outlook.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

“Three-phase theory must be taken seriously, and traditional analysis by traffic engineers should be revised. I hope the book will encourage the traffic research community to employ the concepts and methods that Kerner has so convincingly presented. … Concepts are clearly illustrated with figures, and the book’s useful glossary of traffic terminology should make the material accessible to graduate students in physics, mathematics, and engineering. … I highly recommend Introduction to Modern Traffic Flow Theory and Control.” (L. Craig Davis, Physics Today, March 2010)

“The book brings together the various paper publications by Kerner and his coauthors in a concise and readable manner. … He provides the reader with a set of models that follow three-phase theory and can be used in traffic simulators. I would like to recommend this book by Boris Kerner and like to encourage our community to make use of his models (and theory) in future studies on traffic control.” (Hannes Hartenstein, IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine, September, 2010)

“This book contains and illustrates a qualitative theory of traffic flow based on three-phase traffic flow models which were introduced by the author and some coauthors in a long series of papers and experiments. … Interested readers can be recommended to start reading this book … .” (Hartmut Noltemeier, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1189, 2010)

From the Publisher