I have been awarded a grant from the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina, on a one-year project: Multiscale nonlocal models in traffic flows.

Project Summary

Mathematical models on traffic flows have been studied extensively in the past century. Many celebrated models lie in a beautiful multiscale framework. The investigations on these models play an important role in designing traffic networks and preventing traffic jams.

Recently, the fast development of self-driving vehicles and new communication technologies allow long-range interactions in traffic networks. It attracts a lot of interest in nonlocal traffic flow models.

The aim of the proposed project is to develop the mathematical theory on non-local traffic flows and understand how nonlocal interactions can help to optimize the traffic networks and avoid the creation of traffic congestions.

The PI has been actively working on a variety of multiscale nonlocal models in physical, biological, and sociological contexts. These experiences can greatly help the understanding of the nonlocal phenomena in traffic models. Preliminary investigations show intriguing behaviors and promising outcomes. Results generated from this project will be capitalized to prepare proposals for external grants from NSF and DOT.

UofSC Office of Research Awards Announcement Page