The working group Individual Traffic has its focus on mathematical methods and algorithms in the area of traffic and logistics. But many topics can also be applied to public transport. From a mathematical point of view we mainly deal with methods from combinatorial optimization, in particular with graph and network algorithms and linear and integer programming, always applied to problems in traffic and logistics. Further subjects are game theory, AI and graph theory.
The main project of our group is the mathematical optimization of the duty and enforcement planning for toll inspectors at the German Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG). We aim at developing an algorithm for an integrated tour planning and crew rostering approach. The rostering part is modeled as a multi-commodity flow problem in a scheduling graph and formulated as an IP with additional constraints to incorporate the tours. The IP is either solved directly with a commercial solver or the problem is solved with a multi-phase heuristic.
Further project topics are game theoretic methods for an optimal toll enforcement as well as the division of the toll network into small subareas with similar traffic load. Our algorithm and tool for an integrated tour and roster planning is in real world operation at the BAG to plan all toll inspectors in Germany. Our method could be transferred to other applications like police or ticket inspections.
There is a close collaboration with the ZIB Spin-Off LBW Optimization GmbH that also develop algorithms for the BAG, but in the area of traditional truck inspections and in the activation planning of stationary control devices. In addition there is a huge thematic and methological overlap to optimization methods in public transport, in particular in the railway sector. Thus we have an intensive cooperation with parts of the mobiliy lab.