Title: Random walks, one-way constraints, and urban street networks

Speaker: David Bowater, University of New Brunswick

Abstract: Understanding the relation between network structure and dynamical processes is of utmost importance in many fields and in recent studies, there has been growing interest in analysing the effect of partial edge damage on random walk dynamics to better understand network functionality. In this talk, I will briefly review some interesting outcomes of this work and then move on to consider the effect of full damage to edges (i.e., edge removal) on global transport capacity, where transport is modelled as a diffusive process described by a random walker. First, I will describe a general framework for studying the response of random walk dynamics to one-way constraints on networks and then, I will apply the framework to examine the impact of one-way streets on the global transport capacity of drivable street networks in 55 cities around the world. The outcomes of this study not only allow us to compare and classify the impact of one-ways in urban street networks but also highlight the complex interplay between network structure, one-way constraints, and random walk dynamics.

 

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Location: A1046

Date and Time: Wednesday, Mar. 11 at 04:10 PM - 05:10 PM (NDT)

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