6,180 research outputs found
Congestion-gradient driven transport on complex networks
We present a study of transport on complex networks with routing based on
local information. Particles hop from one node of the network to another
according to a set of routing rules with different degrees of congestion
awareness, ranging from random diffusion to rigid congestion-gradient driven
flow. Each node can be either source or destination for particles and all nodes
have the same routing capacity, which are features of ad-hoc wireless networks.
It is shown that the transport capacity increases when a small amount of
congestion awareness is present in the routing rules, and that it then
decreases as the routing rules become too rigid when the flow becomes strictly
congestion-gradient driven. Therefore, an optimum value of the congestion
awareness exists in the routing rules. It is also shown that, in the limit of a
large number of nodes, networks using routing based on local information jam at
any nonzero load. Finally, we study the correlation between congestion at node
level and a betweenness centrality measure.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure
Information transfer in community structured multiplex networks
The study of complex networks that account for different types of
interactions has become a subject of interest in the last few years, specially
because its representational power in the description of users interactions in
diverse online social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). The
mathematical description of these interacting networks has been coined under
the name of multilayer networks, where each layer accounts for a type of
interaction. It has been shown that diffusive processes on top of these
networks present a phenomenology that cannot be explained by the naive
superposition of single layer diffusive phenomena but require the whole
structure of interconnected layers. Nevertheless, the description of diffusive
phenomena on multilayer networks has obviated the fact that social networks
have strong mesoscopic structure represented by different communities of
individuals driven by common interests, or any other social aspect. In this
work, we study the transfer of information in multilayer networks with
community structure. The final goal is to understand and quantify, if the
existence of well-defined community structure at the level of individual
layers, together with the multilayer structure of the whole network, enhances
or deteriorates the diffusion of packets of information.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
Capacity Based Evacuation with Dynamic Exit Signs
Exit paths in buildings are designed to minimise evacuation time when the
building is at full capacity. We present an evacuation support system which
does this regardless of the number of evacuees. The core concept is to even-out
congestion in the building by diverting evacuees to less-congested paths in
order to make maximal usage of all accessible routes throughout the entire
evacuation process. The system issues a set of flow-optimal routes using a
capacity-constrained routing algorithm which anticipates evolutions in path
metrics using the concept of "future capacity reservation". In order to direct
evacuees in an intuitive manner whilst implementing the routing algorithm's
scheme, we use dynamic exit signs, i.e. whose pointing direction can be
controlled. To make this system practical and minimise reliance on sensors
during the evacuation, we use an evacuee mobility model and make several
assumptions on the characteristics of the evacuee flow. We validate this
concept using simulations, and show how the underpinning assumptions may limit
the system's performance, especially in low-headcount evacuations
Theoretical approach and impact of correlations on the critical packet generation rate in traffic dynamics on complex networks
Using the formalism of the biased random walk in random uncorrelated networks
with arbitrary degree distributions, we develop theoretical approach to the
critical packet generation rate in traffic based on routing strategy with local
information. We explain microscopic origins of the transition from the flow to
the jammed phase and discuss how the node neighbourhood topology affects the
transport capacity in uncorrelated and correlated networks.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Using simulation to analyze picker blocking in manual order picking systems
The rise of the e-commerce practice makes the warehouses be confronted with ever smaller orders that must be met ever faster, often within a 24-h period. This pressures the order picking process as the orders pickers' workload becomes higher and higher, leading subsequently to congestion in the warehouse and impacting its productivity. It is therefore crucial to determine which order batching and picking policies enhance the performance of order picking activities. This paper carries out an intensive simulation study to examine the performance of different order picking policies with batching in a wide-aisle warehouse with a low-level picker-to-parts system. The performance of the system is measured in terms of total travelled distance, number of collisions between operators (congestion) and order lead times. A full factorial design is set up and the simulation output is statistically analyzed. The results are reported and thoroughly discussed
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