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Futility of being selfish in optimized traffic

Po, Ho Fai; Yeung, Chi Ho; Saad, David

Authors

Profile image of Ho Fai Po

Dr Ho Fai Po Jacky.Po@uwe.ac.uk
Lecturer in Data Science/ Analytics

Chi Ho Yeung

David Saad



Abstract

Optimizing traffic flow is essential for easing congestion. However, even when globally optimal, coordinated, and individualized routes are provided, users may choose alternative routes which offer lower individual costs. By analyzing the impact of selfish route choices on performance using the cavity method, we find that a small ratio of selfish route choices improves the global performance of uncoordinated transportation networks but degrades the efficiency of optimized systems. Remarkably, compliant users always gain in the former and selfish users may gain in the latter, under some parameter conditions. The theoretical results are in good agreement with large-scale simulations. Iterative route switching by a small fraction of selfish users leads to Nash equilibria close to the globally optimal routing solution. Our theoretical framework also generalizes the use of the cavity method, originally developed for the study of equilibrium states, to analyze iterative game-theoretical problems. These results shed light on the feasibility of easing congestion by route coordination when not all vehicles follow the coordinated routes.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 15, 2021
Online Publication Date Feb 8, 2021
Publication Date Feb 8, 2021
Deposit Date Mar 28, 2025
Journal Physical Review E
Print ISSN 2470-0045
Electronic ISSN 2470-0053
Publisher American Physical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 103
Issue 2
Article Number 022306
DOI https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.103.022306
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/14149713