Mathematical Modeling of Command-and-Control Strategies in Crowd Movement

Abstract

Mathematical models and solution frameworks are described for the assessment of command-and-control strategies in the centralized coordination of crowd movement. The effectiveness of several strategies–-from providing only information to reconfiguring the built environment through architectural design changes and forcing pedestrians to follow system-optimal evacuation routes–-is investigated and compared with the use of proposed mathematical formulations and computational solutions. These formulations and solutions are tested on an example network as an illustration. Differences in system performance under these strategies are assessed, and performance (as total travel time) is compared. Efficiency gains obtained with command-and-control strategies in crowd movement are investigated.