Linear chaos for the Quick-Thinking-Driver model

TL;DR

This paper investigates chaotic behavior in a linearized version of the Quick-Thinking-Driver model, relevant for traffic safety and autonomous vehicle simulations, by applying chaos theory to an infinite-dimensional system.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to analyze chaos in a linearized, infinite-dimensional traffic model using methods from chaos theory and cell growth models.

Findings

Demonstrates chaotic behavior in an infinite-dimensional linear traffic model

Extends chaos analysis techniques to traffic flow models

Provides insights into complex dynamics of driverless car interactions

Abstract

In recent years, the topic of car-following has experimented an increased importance in traffic engineering and safety research. This has become a very interesting topic because of the development of driverless cars \cite{google_driverless_cars}. Driving models which describe the interaction between adjacent vehicles in the same lane have a big interest in simulation modeling, such as the Quick-Thinking-Driver model. A non-linear version of it can be given using the logistic map, and then chaos appears. We show that an infinite-dimensional version of the linear model presents a chaotic behavior using the same approach as for studying chaos of death models of cell growth.