Stochastic Transport in Complex Systems: From Molecules to Vehicles

The first part of the book provides a pedagogical introduction to the physics of complex systems driven far from equilibrium. In this part we discuss the basic concepts and theoretical techniques which are commonly used to study classical stochastic transport in systems of interacting driven particles. The analytical techniques include mean-field theories, matrix product ansatz, renormalization group, etc. and the numerical methods are mostly based on computer simulations. In the second part of the book these concepts and techniques are applied not only to vehicular traffic but also to transport and traffic-like phenomena in living systems ranging from collective movements of social insects (for example, ants) on trails to intracellular molecular motor transport. These demonstrate the conceptual unity of the fundamental principles underlying the apparent diversity of the systems and the utility of the theoretical toolbox of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics in interdisciplinary research far beyond the traditional disciplinary boundaries of physics.

Leading industry experts provide a broad overview of the interdisciplinary nature of physicsPresents unified descriptions of intracellular, ant, and vehicular traffic from a physics point of viewApplies theoretical methods in practical everyday situationsReference and guide for physicists, engineers and graduate students

I. Methods and Concepts 1. Introduction to Nonequilibrium Systems and Transport Phenomena 2. Methods for the Description of Stochastic Models 3. Particle-Hopping Models of Transport far From Equilibrium 4. Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process - Exact Results

II. Applications 5. Vehicular Traffic I: Empirical Facts 6. Vehicular Traffic II: The Nagel-Schreckenberg Model 7. Vehicular Traffic III: Other CA Models 8. Vehicular Traffic III: Non-CA Modelling Approaches 9. Transport on Networks 10. Pedestrian Dynamics 11. Biological Traffic