Autonomous Distributed Control of Traffic Signal Network by Reaction-Diffusion Equation on a Graph

Abstract

A new method is proposed for controlling a large number of traffic signals, which are represented by nonlinear oscillators, each governed by a reaction-diffusion equation at a node of a graph. The behavior of each signal is determined only by the states of its neighbors, with the system as a whole being also organized globally. In this report, both offsets between neighboring signals and phase splits of them are controlled according to the traffic condition. The simulation results are exemplified to show the validity of the method.