2006/02/14 by Stefan Lämmer, Hiroshi Kori, Karsten Peters +1 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Computer Science · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Gene Regulatory Network Analysis #Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation #Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research #physics.soc-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physa.2006.01.047
published as S. Lämmer, H. Kori, K. Peters, and D. Helbing (2006) Decentralised control of material or traffic flows in networks using phase-synchronisation, Physica A 363(1) pp. 39-47
openalex publication_date 2006/02/14 · arxiv created 2006/03/30 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We present a self-organising, decentralised control method for material flows in networks. The concept applies to networks where time sharing mechanisms between conflicting flows in nodes are required and where a coordination of these local switches on a system-wide level can improve the performance. We show that, under certain assumptions, the control of nodes can be mapped to a network of phase-oscillators. By synchronising these oscillators, the desired global coordination is achieved. We illustrate the method in the example of traffic signal control for road networks. The proposed concept is flexible, adaptive, robust and decentralised. It can be transferred to other queuing networks such as production systems. Our control approach makes use of simple synchronisation principles found in various biological systems in order to obtain collective behaviour from local interactions.