Impact of sequential disorder on the scaling behavior of airplane boarding time

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2013 May;87(5):052803. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.87.052803. Epub 2013 May 16.

Abstract

Airplane boarding process is an example where disorder properties of the system are relevant to the emergence of universality classes. Based on a simple model, we present a systematic analysis of finite-size effects in boarding time, and propose a comprehensive view of the role of sequential disorder in the scaling behavior of boarding time against the plane size. Using numerical simulations and mathematical arguments, we find how the scaling behavior depends on the number of seat columns and the range of sequential disorder. Our results show that new scaling exponents can arise as disorder is localized to varying extents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air Travel / statistics & numerical data*
  • Algorithms*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Nonlinear Dynamics*
  • Waiting Lists*