Modeling Evacuees’ Exit Selection with Best Response Dynamics

Abstract

We present a model for occupants' exit selection in emergency evacuations.The model is based on the game theoretic concept of best responsedynamics, where each player updates his strategy periodically accordingto other players' strategies. A fixed point of the system of allplayers' best response functions defines a Nash equilibrium of thegame. In the model the players are the occupants and the strategiesare the possible target exits. We present a mathematical formulationfor the model and analyze its properties with simple test simulations.