Motility: from the molecular to the population scale (2008)

Organizers: Christian Schmeiser (U. Vienna), PF Michel Rascle (CNRS)

Our 2008 thematic program: "Motility: from the molecular to the population scale" has a double emphasis on Mathematical Biology and on Traffic Flow.

In this framework, there will be two workshops on Traffic Flow and related problems:
1. Multiscale Problems and Models in Traffic Flow: May 05-09, 2008, including an introductory minicourse for graduate students on May 05, 06.
2. Kinetic and Macroscopic Models for Cars and Pedestrian Traffic Flow: July 02-04, 2008

These two workshops are intentionnally of small size, with few talks and a lot of time for discussions and interactions. The participation of a few graduate students is also encouraged, and there will be a Minicourse on traffic flow for graduate students at the beginning of workshop 1.
Here is a brief description of each of these workshops.

Workshop 1. Multiscale Problems and Models in Traffic Flow:
May 05-09, 2008, with a Mini-course on Traffic Flow on May 05-06.
There are several competing approaches in the modeling of traffic flow, depending on the scales of interest and the amount of instability that each scientific community would like to see in the description of some of the complex phenomena experimentally observed. At short scales, several classes of models can produce either negative velocities, like systems based on gas dynamics, e.g. Payne-Whitham, or crashes, like Bando's model. Sometimes, bad things already happen at the microscopic level.
On the other hand, the natural mathematical assumptions which preclude these unacceptable features, like in First Order or Aw-Rascle, or Colombo, types of models, possibly with source-terms satisfying the subcharacteristic condition, turn out to be too strong to allow for enough oscillations at larger scales, such as stop and go waves. The issue is then to find a satisfactory compromise, if there is any (?) (one may also have different ideas on what such a compromise should be !). In any event, a careful discussion of experimentally observed phenomena should be emphasized.
So we we would like to discuss these - sometimes controversial - issues with a few experts from the different interested communities.
A first list of speakers includes:
R. Colombo (Brescia), P. Degond (Toulouse), I. Gasser (Hamburg), J. Greenberg (Pittsburgh), D. Helbing (Zürich), JP Lebacque (Arcueil), M. Rascle (Nice and WPI), F. Siebel (Munchen), M. Treiber (Dresden), P. Wagner (Berlin), E. Wilson (Bristol) ...

Workshop 2. Kinetic and Macroscopic Models for Cars, Supply Chains and Pedestrian Traffic Flow:
July 02-04, 2008
On one hand, the classical kinetic approach of car traffic flow is of course aimed at providing a description at an intermediate scale between micro and macro. In contrast with the situation in gas dynamics, there are (in principle ...) much less collisions to drive the system to the local "Maxwellians". Nevertheless, this type of description provides nice simulations, as well as formal links to macroscopic models. Some recent results in this direction will be discussed, as well as recent results on kinetic or macroscopic aspects of supply chain modeling.
On the other hand, pedestrian flows, and more generally, collective behaviours in animal populations, e.g. ants, are now more and more accurately studied on the mathematical and numerical side, with different approaches. Some of them will be presented.
A first list of confirmed invited speakers includes:
P. Degond (Toulouse), I. Farkas (Budapest), M. Herty (Aachen), R. Illner (Victoria), A. Klar (Kaiserslautern), L. Pareschi (Ferrara), A. Schadschneider (Köln), M. Treiber (Dresden).
Other invitations are pending

Events

Workshop on 'Kinetic and Macroscopic Models for Cars, Supply Chains, and Pedestrian Flows'
Location: WPI seminar room, Nordbergstrasse 15 Time: 2. Jul 2008 (Wed) - 4. Jul 2008 (Fri); Opening: 11:15
Organisation(s) WPI Organiser(s) Reinhard Illner (U. of Victoria) Michel Rascle (U. de Nice, CNRS) Christian Schmeiser (U. Wien, WPI)

Workshop and Minicourse on 'Multiscale Problems and Models in Traffic Flow'
Location: WPI seminar room, Nordbergstrasse 15 Time: 5. May 2008 (Mon) - 9. May 2008 (Fri); Opening: 13:45
Organisation(s) WPI Organiser(s) Michel Rascle (U. de Nice, CNRS) Christian Schmeiser (U. Wien, WPI)
Remark: The precise program of the end of the week will be specified later, in order to allow for more interactions between the participants

Talks in the framework of this thematic program... (by date) , (by name)

Pauli Fellows