Day-to-day dynamic network disequilibria and idealized traveler information systems

In this paper the authors present tatonnement models for calculating static Wardropian user equilibria on congested networks with fully general demand and cost structures. They present both a qualitative analysis of stability and numerical studies which show that such an approach provides a reliable means for determining static user equilibria. The authors also describe circumstances for which these models depict day-to-day adjustments from one realizable disequilibrium state to another and how these adjustment processes differ depending on the ‘quality’ of the information being provided by (abstract) traveler information systems. Specifically, we demonstrate that such dynamic adjustment processes settle down to equilibria both when information is complete and when it is incomplete.