713 research outputs found
Calibrating Car-Following Models using Trajectory Data: Methodological Study
The car-following behavior of individual drivers in real city traffic is
studied on the basis of (publicly available) trajectory datasets recorded by a
vehicle equipped with an radar sensor. By means of a nonlinear optimization
procedure based on a genetic algorithm, we calibrate the Intelligent Driver
Model and the Velocity Difference Model by minimizing the deviations between
the observed driving dynamics and the simulated trajectory when following the
same leading vehicle. The reliability and robustness of the nonlinear fits are
assessed by applying different optimization criteria, i.e., different measures
for the deviations between two trajectories. The obtained errors are in the
range between~11% and~29% which is consistent with typical error ranges
obtained in previous studies. In addition, we found that the calibrated
parameter values of the Velocity Difference Model strongly depend on the
optimization criterion, while the Intelligent Driver Model is more robust in
this respect. By applying an explicit delay to the model input, we investigated
the influence of a reaction time. Remarkably, we found a negligible influence
of the reaction time indicating that drivers compensate for their reaction time
by anticipation. Furthermore, the parameter sets calibrated to a certain
trajectory are applied to the other trajectories allowing for model validation.
The results indicate that ``intra-driver variability'' rather than
``inter-driver variability'' accounts for a large part of the calibration
errors. The results are used to suggest some criteria towards a benchmarking of
car-following models
Universal Wait-Free Memory Reclamation
In this paper, we present a universal memory reclamation scheme, Wait-Free
Eras (WFE), for deleted memory blocks in wait-free concurrent data structures.
WFE's key innovation is that it is completely wait-free. Although some prior
techniques provide similar guarantees for certain data structures, they lack
support for arbitrary wait-free data structures. Consequently, developers are
typically forced to marry their wait-free data structures with lock-free Hazard
Pointers or (potentially blocking) epoch-based memory reclamation. Since both
these schemes provide weaker progress guarantees, they essentially forfeit the
strong progress guarantee of wait-free data structures. Though making the
original Hazard Pointers scheme or epoch-based reclamation completely wait-free
seems infeasible, we achieved this goal with a more recent, (lock-free) Hazard
Eras scheme, which we extend to guarantee wait-freedom. As this extension is
non-trivial, we discuss all challenges pertaining to the construction of
universal wait-free memory reclamation.
WFE is implementable on ubiquitous x86_64 and AArch64 (ARM) architectures.
Its API is mostly compatible with Hazard Pointers, which allows easy
transitioning of existing data structures into WFE. Our experimental
evaluations show that WFE's performance is close to epoch-based reclamation and
almost matches the original Hazard Eras scheme, while providing the stronger
wait-free progress guarantee
The statistical properties of the city transport in Cuernavaca (Mexico) and Random matrix ensembles
We analyze statistical properties of the city bus transport in Cuernavaca
(Mexico) and show that the bus arrivals display probability distributions
conforming those given by the Unitary Ensemble of random matrices.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Direct observation of twist mode in electroconvection in I52
I report on the direct observation of a uniform twist mode of the director
field in electroconvection in I52. Recent theoretical work suggests that such a
uniform twist mode of the director field is responsible for a number of
secondary bifurcations in both electroconvection and thermal convection in
nematics. I show here evidence that the proposed mechanisms are consistent with
being the source of the previously reported SO2 state of electroconvection in
I52. The same mechanisms also contribute to a tertiary Hopf bifurcation that I
observe in electroconvection in I52. There are quantitative differences between
the experiment and calculations that only include the twist mode. These
differences suggest that a complete description must include effects described
by the weak-electrolyte model of electroconvection
Interpreting the Wide Scattering of Synchronized Traffic Data by Time Gap Statistics
Based on the statistical evaluation of experimental single-vehicle data, we
propose a quantitative interpretation of the erratic scattering of flow-density
data in synchronized traffic flows. A correlation analysis suggests that the
dynamical flow-density data are well compatible with the so-called jam line
characterizing fully developed traffic jams, if one takes into account the
variation of their propagation speed due to the large variation of the netto
time gaps (the inhomogeneity of traffic flow). The form of the time gap
distribution depends not only on the density, but also on the measurement cross
section: The most probable netto time gap in congested traffic flow upstream of
a bottleneck is significantly increased compared to uncongested freeway
sections. Moreover, we identify different power-law scaling laws for the
relative variance of netto time gaps as a function of the sampling size. While
the exponent is -1 in free traffic corresponding to statistically independent
time gaps, the exponent is about -2/3 in congested traffic flow because of
correlations between queued vehicles.Comment: For related publications see http://www.helbing.or
Temporal Modulation of the Control Parameter in Electroconvection in the Nematic Liquid Crystal I52
I report on the effects of a periodic modulation of the control parameter on
electroconvection in the nematic liquid crystal I52. Without modulation, the
primary bifurcation from the uniform state is a direct transition to a state of
spatiotemporal chaos. This state is the result of the interaction of four,
degenerate traveling modes: right and left zig and zag rolls. Periodic
modulations of the driving voltage at approximately twice the traveling
frequency are used. For a large enough modulation amplitude, standing waves
that consist of only zig or zag rolls are stabilized. The standing waves
exhibit regular behavior in space and time. Therefore, modulation of the
control parameter represents a method of eliminating spatiotemporal chaos. As
the modulation frequency is varied away from twice the traveling frequency,
standing waves that are a superposition of zig and zag rolls, i.e. standing
rectangles, are observed. These results are compared with existing predictions
based on coupled complex Ginzburg-Landau equations
Congested Traffic States in Empirical Observations and Microscopic Simulations
We present data from several German freeways showing different kinds of
congested traffic forming near road inhomogeneities, specifically lane
closings, intersections, or uphill gradients. The states are localized or
extended, homogeneous or oscillating. Combined states are observed as well,
like the coexistence of moving localized clusters and clusters pinned at road
inhomogeneities, or regions of oscillating congested traffic upstream of nearly
homogeneous congested traffic. The experimental findings are consistent with a
recently proposed theoretical phase diagram for traffic near on-ramps [D.
Helbing, A. Hennecke, and M. Treiber, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 82}, 4360 (1999)].
We simulate these situations with a novel continuous microscopic single-lane
model, the ``intelligent driver model'' (IDM), using the empirical boundary
conditions. All observations, including the coexistence of states, are
qualitatively reproduced by describing inhomogeneities with local variations of
one model parameter.
We show that the results of the microscopic model can be understood by
formulating the theoretical phase diagram for bottlenecks in a more general
way. In particular, a local drop of the road capacity induced by parameter
variations has practically the same effect as an on-ramp.Comment: Now published in Phys. Rev. E. Minor changes suggested by a referee
are incorporated; full bibliographic info added. For related work see
http://www.mtreiber.de/ and http://www.helbing.org
The Effect of absorbing sites on the one-dimensional cellular automaton traffic flow with open boundaries
The effect of the absorbing sites with an absorbing rate , in both
one absorbing site (one way out) and two absorbing sites (two ways out) in a
road, on the traffic flow phase transition is investigated using numerical
simulations in the one-dimensional cellular automaton traffic flow model with
open boundaries using parallel dynamics.In the case of one way out, there exist
a critical position of the way out below which the current is
constant for and decreases when increasing
for . When the way out is located at a
position greater than , the current increases with for
and becomes constant for any value of
greater than . While, when the way out is located at any position
between and (), the current increases,
for , with and becomes constant for
and decreases with for
. In the later case the density undergoes two
successive first order transitions; from high density to maximal current phase
at and from intermediate density to the low one at
. In the case of two ways out located respectively
at the positions and , the two successive transitions occur
only when the distance - separating the two ways is smaller than
a critical distance . Phase diagrams in the (),
() and () planes are established. It is found
that the transitions between Free traffic, Congested traffic and maximal
current phase are first order
Quality of lessons, level of achievement in school classes, and individual progress
In einem zusammenfassenden Überblick wird über die Ziele und Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung berichtet, die von der Annahme ausging, daß sich Schulklassen in Art und Ausmaß des Erreichens kognitiver Lernziele unterscheiden, daß diese Unterschiede mit der vom Lehrer beeinflußbaren Qualität des Unterrichts zusammenhängen und daß die Vermittlung entsprechender didaktischer Fähigkeiten Lehrer in die Lage versetzt, ihren Unterrichtserfolg zu verbessern, um unerwünschte Leistungsdifferenzen zwischen den Schülern abzubauen. Untersucht wurden Lehrer und Schüler fünfter Hauptschulklassen im Mathematikunterricht. Zwar konnte eine große Zahl deskriptiver und explikativer Hypothesen über die Qualität des Mathematikunterrichts und die Entwicklung der Schülerleistungen in diesem Fach bestätigt werden, doch erwiesen sich zwei Resultate als völlig erwartungswidrig: (1) Der Lehrer hat im Vergleich zu anderen schulischen und außerschulischen Einflußgrößen nur eine begrenzte Wirksamkeit auf die Egalisierung von Schülerleistungen. (2) Die Verringerung der Leistungsunterschiede in den untersuchten Klassen kam in der Regel nicht durch die (erwünschte) Verbesserung der schlechten, sondern durch die (unerwünschte) Verschlechterung der guten Schüler zustande. Diese desiIlusionierenden Ergebnisse werden im Hinblick auf die notwendig gewordenen projektinternen Konsequenzen und auf die Schlußfolgerungen für die Theorie eines zielerreichenden, leistungsegalisierenden Unterrichts diskutiert. (DIPF/Orig.
Worm Structure in Modified Swift-Hohenberg Equation for Electroconvection
A theoretical model for studying pattern formation in electroconvection is
proposed in the form of a modified Swift-Hohenberg equation. A localized state
is found in two dimension, in agreement with the experimentally observed
``worm" state. The corresponding one dimensional model is also studied, and a
novel stationary localized state due to nonadiabatic effect is found. The
existence of the 1D localized state is shown to be responsible for the
formation of the two dimensional ``worm" state in our model
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