Traffic Jams

Rule 184 and the flow of cars

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Rule 184: a car moves if the cell ahead is empty.
• Long-run flow is $\min(\rho, 1 - \rho)$, peaking at half density.
• Above the peak, jams form and travel backwards.

Steps

1. Cars as cells
2. Watch the jams
3. Maximum flow
4. Jams from nowhere
5. Light traffic
6. A busy road