Traffic flow: a statistical physics point of view

The investigation of traffic flow problems has a long tradition and various methods and approaches have been applied. In this review we focus on statistical mechanics and nonequilibrium aspects. It is shown that many properties of traffic flow can be modelled successfully by using rather simple cellular automaton models. Analytical methods for the investigation of discrete models are presented in some detail. Apart from highway traffic, also the modelling of city traffic and pedestrian dynamics will be discussed.