MINIMUM COST SCHEDULES FOR A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROUTE

A FLEET OF VEHICLES CARRIES PASSENGERS IN ONE DIRECTION ON A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROUTE, THEN RETURNS TO THE DISPATCH POINT AFTER A TRAVEL TIME T. THE ARRIVAL RATE OF PASSENGERS IS A KNOWN DETERMINISTIC FUNCTION OF TIME AND THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVISE A SCHEDULE THAT MINIMIZES THE TOTAL COST FOR PASSENGER WAITING TIME AND VEHICLE OPERATIONS. TO MAKE A MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS, THE ENTIRE PROBLEM IS RESTATED IN TERMS OF A CONTINUUM, OR FLUID FLOW, MODEL AND A THEORETICAL SOLUTION TO THE OPTIMAL SCHEDULE IS ATTEMPTED. PRINCIPLES DERIVED ARE APPLIED TO A NUMBER OF HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES AND A PROCEDURE IS GIVEN FOR CONSTRUCTING SUBOPTIMAL SCHEDULES IN CASES WHERE IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONSTRUCT THE OPTIMAL SCHEDULE. /AUTHOR/