Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of communication and utility-based decision making in a simple model of evacuation

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present a simple cellular automaton based model of decision making during evacuation. Evacuees have to choose between two different exit routes, resulting in a strategic decision making problem. Agents take their decisions based on utility functions, these can be revised as the evacuation proceeds, leading to complex interaction between individuals and to jamming transitions. The model also includes the possibility to communicate and exchange information with distant agents, information received may affect the decision of agents. We show that under a wider range of evacuation scenarios performance of the model system as a whole is optimal at an intermediate fraction of evacuees with access to communication.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. H. Haken, Synergetics: An Introduction, Nonequilibrium Phase Transition and Self-Organization in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, 3rd edn. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1983)

  2. P. Bak, How Nature Works: The Science of Self-Organized Criticality (Copernicus Books, New York, 1996)

  3. S. Kauffman, Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993)

  4. M. Cross, H. Greenside, Pattern Formation and Dynamics in Nonequilibrium Systems (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2009)

  5. J.J. Hopfield, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 2554 (1982)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. M.A. Nowak, R.M. May, Virus Dynamics: Mathematical Principles of Immunology and Virology (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001)

  7. C. Castellano, S. Fortunato, V. Loreto, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, 591 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. R.N. Mantegna, H.E. Stanley, An Introduction to Econophysics: Correlations and Complexity in Finance (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999)

  9. A. Schadschneider, D. Chowdhury, K. Nishinari, Stochastic Transport in Complex Systems (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2011)

  10. D. Helbing, A. Johansson, in Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, edited by R. Meyers (Springer, Berlin, 2009)

  11. D. Helbing, Rev. Mod. Phys. 73, 1067 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. A. Schadschneider, W. Klingsch, H. Klüpfel, T. Kretz, C. Rogsch, A. Seyfried, in Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, edited by R. Meyers (Springer, Berlin, 2009)

  13. D. Helbing, I. Farkas, T. Vicsek, Nature 407, 487 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. M. Fukui, Y. Ishabashi, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 68, 3738 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. M. Fukui, Y. Ishabashi, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 68, 2861 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. S. Wolfram, Rev. Mod. Phys. 55, 601 (1983)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. K. Nagel, M. Schreckenberg, J. Phys. I France 2, 2221 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. C. MacDonald, J. Gibbs, A. Pipken, Biopolymers 6, 1 (1968)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. C. MacDonald, J. Gibbs, Biopolymers 7, 707 (1969)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. V.J. Blue, J.L. Adler, Transp. Res. Rec. 1644, 29 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. C. Burstedde, A. Kirchner, A. Schadschneider, J. Zittarz, in Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics, edited by M. Schreckenberg and M.D. Sharma (Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, 2002)

  22. C. Burstedde, A. Kirchner, A. Schadschneider, J. Zittarz, Physica A 295, 507 (2001)

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. F. Alavizadeh, B. Moshiri, C. Lucas, in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence: Theories, Models and Applications edited by J. Darzentas et al. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2008), Vol. 5138

  24. L. Aik, in Proceedings of the 6th IMT-GT Conference on Mathematics, Statistics and its Applications, Kuala Lumpur 2010, (ICMSA, 2010), p. 852

  25. L. Aik, Int. J. Phys. Sci. 6, 3218 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  26. H. Ethamo, S. Heliovaara, S. Hostikka, T. Korhonen, Adv. Compl. Syst. 13, 113 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. G. Ren-Yong, H. Hai-Jun, J. Chin. Phys. B 19, 30501 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. S.M. Lo, H.C. Huang, P. Wang, K.K. Yuen, Fire Saf. J. 41, 364 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. R.Y. Guo, H.J. Huang, S.C. Wong, Transp. Res. B 45, 490 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Z. Zainuddin, L. Aik, Eur. J. Sci. Res. 42, 536 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  31. J. Li-jun, C. Jin-chang, Z. Wei-jie, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Virtual Environments (Human-Computer Interfaces and Measurements Systems, 2010)

  32. Y. Lin, I. Fedchenia, B. LaBarre, R. Tomastik, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics, Wuppertal, 2008, edited by W. Klingsch, C. Rogsch, A. Schadschneider, M. Schreckenberg (Springer, Berlin, 2010)

  33. T. Kretz, M. Schreckenberg, in Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Cellular Automata for Research and Industry, Perpignan, 2006, edited by S. Yacoubi et al. (Springer, 2006), p. 712

  34. C. Henein, T. White, Physica A 389, 4636 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. N. Pelechano, N. Badler, IEEE Comput. Graph. Appl. 26, 80 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. D. Challet, M. Marsili, Y.-C. Zhang, in Minority Games: Interacting Agents in Financial Markets (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004)

  37. A. Kirchner, H. Klüpfel, K. Nishinari, A. Schadschneider, M. Schreckenberg, J. Stat. Mech. Theory Exp. P10011 (2004)

  38. Chen Chang-kun, Sun Yun-feng, Li Zhi, in Proceedings of Intelligent Computing and Intelligent Systems (IEEE, Shanghai, 2009), p. 580

  39. A. Schadschneider, Cellular Automaton Approach to Pedestrian Dynamics – Theory, in Pedestrian and Evacuation Dynamics, edited by M. Schreckenberg, S.D. Sharma (Springer, Berlin, 2002), p. 75

  40. Y. Suma, D. Yanagisawa, K. Nishinari, Physica A 391, 248 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Y. Lizhong, L. Jian, Liu Shaobo, Physica A 387, 3281 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Theoretical Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, M139PL, Manchester, UK

    M. Smyrnakis & T. Galla

Authors
  1. M. Smyrnakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Galla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Galla.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smyrnakis, M., Galla, T. Effects of communication and utility-based decision making in a simple model of evacuation. Eur. Phys. J. B 85, 378 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2012-30312-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2012-30312-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation