Attracting sets in a deterministic discrete traffic model

2001

The fundamental diagram of the Nagel-Schreckenberg traffic model is derived analytically for the deterministic case using methods and concepts from nonlinear dynamics. It is shown that the possible states of the long-term behaviour form a globally attractive subset which can be well characterized. This attractive set of states is composed of coexisting attractors. The attractor concept is applied to a slow-to-start extension of the model. For this example it is shown that the attractive set consists of coexisting attractors with different macroscopic properties, that can be determined analytically.