Sat, 22 Dec 2007

Mathematicians Solve the Mystery of Traffic Jams

OK, fine - but can they solve the real mystery of modern life: why do you run out of toilet paper, paper towels and tissues at the same time?

Do you ever find yourself in a traffic jam, thinking, 'Man, there must be a bad accident up ahead,' but as you plod along you see no evidence of any crash? Some mathematicians have solved the mystery by developing a mathematical model that shows how one driver hitting the brakes a little too hard can cascade into a backup miles behind. The mathematicians' future research will investigate how automatic braking systems may alleviate the problem.

(link) [Slashdot]

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