First Order Models of Human Crowds with Behavioral-Social Dynamics

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach to behavioral-social dynamics of human crowds. First order models are derived based on mass conservation at the macroscopic scale, while methods of the kinetic theory are used to model the decisional process by which walking individuals select their velocity direction. Crowd heterogeneity is modeled by dividing the whole system into subsystems identified by different features. The passage from one subsystem to the other is induced by interactions. It is shown how heterogeneous individual behaviors can modify the collective dynamics, as well as how local unusual behaviors can propagate in the crowd. The paper also proposes a system approach to the modeling of the dynamics in complex venues, where individuals move through areas with different features.