Wavelet analysis in a traffic model

Wavelet analysis is applied to the study of vehicular fluctuations in highway traffic. The traffic flow on a single lane highway is simulated by the Nagel–Schreckenberg traffic model. Both the usual correlation functions as well as the wavelet-transformed functions are calculated and compared. Off-diagonal correlations are effectively suppressed by the wavelets, and correlations from different scales are nearly decoupled. The signature of traffic jams is identified in the wavelet-spectrum. Wavelet analysis provides a useful tool to explore the self-similarity in traffic fluctuations.