Algorithms and High Performance Computational Tools for Dynamic Flow Problems in Intelligent Transport Networks

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This research aims at designing efficient algorithms and computational tools for a set of dynamic flow problems that arise in intelligent transport networks, which are defined as networks equipped with information technologies aimed at dynamically collecting, processing, and communicating data on current and future network conditions. Problems to be studied include those belonging to two classes:problems that are generic to multiple types of transport networks, and problems that emerge from the domain of intelligent road and highway networks. Performance characteristics of transport networks are at best known with uncertainty, and are typically represented as random variables. In this project, uncertainty will be taken into account in developing efficient computational algorithms for the generic dynamic network flow problems, and in investigating the development of more realistic models, and their corresponding solution algorithms, for traffic flow problems in intelligent road and highway networks. This leads to modeling and algorithmic research questions involving stochastic and time-dependent networks. Intelligent transport networks must operate in real-time. This project will develop algorithms that can run much faster than real-time for networks with real-life sizes. Fast sequential algorithms, that exploit properties of dynamic networks and data representation and manipulation techniques, will be developed and their implementation on high performance computing platforms will be considered. Fastest computer implementations for a given algorithmic problem will be integrated in a library of software tools. The research has the following directions: study of some generic dynamic network flow problems; study of dynamic flow problems in intelligent road traffic networks; and software tools and high performance computational methods This award is made under the Exploratory Research on Engineering the Transport Industries (ETI) program solicitation.