Traffic flow on star graph: Nonlinear diffusion

Abstract: We study the urban-scale macroscopic traffic flow in city networks. Star graph is considered as traffic network. Star graphs with controlled traffic flow are transformed to various cell-transmission graphs by using the cell transmission method. The dynamic equations of vehicular densities on all nodes (roads) are presented on cell-transmission graphs by using the speed-matching model. The density equations are given by nonlinear-diffusion equations. The traffic flow on star graph is mapped to the nonlinear diffusion process on the cell-transmission graphs. At low mean density, the dynamic equations of densities can be approximated by the conventional diffusion equations. At low and high mean densities, the analytical solutions of densities on all nodes (roads) are obtained on cell-transmission complete, cycle and star graphs. By solving the dynamic equations numerically, the densities on all roads are derived at a steady state. The urban-scale macroscopic fundamental diagrams are obtained numerically on the cell-transmission graphs. The analytical solutions agree with the numerical solutions.