A macroscopic traffic data assimilation framework based on Fourier-Galerkin method and minimax estimation

In this paper, we propose a new framework for macroscopic traffic state estimation based on the Fourier-Galerkin projection method and minimax state estimation approach. We assign a Fourier-Galerkin reduced model to a partial differential equation describing a macroscopic model of traffic flow. Taking into account a priori estimates for the projection error, we apply the minimax method to construct the state estimate for the reduced model that gives us, in turn, the estimate of the Fourier-Galerkin coefficients associated with a solution if the original macroscopic model. We illustrate our approach with a numerical example.