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Main Authors: Mirgalooyebayat, Amirsadegh, Didehvar, Farzad
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.02396
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author Mirgalooyebayat, Amirsadegh
Didehvar, Farzad
author_facet Mirgalooyebayat, Amirsadegh
Didehvar, Farzad
contents This article presents a mathematical model for identifying the safest travel routes during a pandemic by minimizing disease contraction risks, such as COVID-19. We formulate this as the LEAST INFECTION PROBABILITY PATH (LIPP) problem, which optimizes routes between two nodes in a transportation network based on minimal disease transmission probability. Our model evaluates risk factors including environmental density, likelihood of encountering carriers, and exposure duration across multiple transportation modes (walking, subway, BRT, buses, and cars). The probabilistic framework incorporates additional variables such as ventilation quality, activity levels, and interpersonal distances to estimate transmission risks. Applied to Tehran's transportation network using routing applications (Neshan and Balad), our model demonstrates that combined pedestrian-subway-BRT routes exhibit significantly lower infection risks compared to car or bus routes, as illustrated in our case study of peak-hour travel between Sadeghiyeh Square and Amirkabir University. We develop a practical routing algorithm suitable for integration with existing navigation software to provide pandemic-aware path recommendations. Potential future extensions include incorporating additional variables like waiting times and line changes, as well as adapting the model for other infectious diseases. This research offers a valuable tool for urban travelers seeking to minimize infection risks during pandemic conditions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_02396
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Finding the Best Route During the Pandemic Disease
Mirgalooyebayat, Amirsadegh
Didehvar, Farzad
Physics and Society
This article presents a mathematical model for identifying the safest travel routes during a pandemic by minimizing disease contraction risks, such as COVID-19. We formulate this as the LEAST INFECTION PROBABILITY PATH (LIPP) problem, which optimizes routes between two nodes in a transportation network based on minimal disease transmission probability. Our model evaluates risk factors including environmental density, likelihood of encountering carriers, and exposure duration across multiple transportation modes (walking, subway, BRT, buses, and cars). The probabilistic framework incorporates additional variables such as ventilation quality, activity levels, and interpersonal distances to estimate transmission risks. Applied to Tehran's transportation network using routing applications (Neshan and Balad), our model demonstrates that combined pedestrian-subway-BRT routes exhibit significantly lower infection risks compared to car or bus routes, as illustrated in our case study of peak-hour travel between Sadeghiyeh Square and Amirkabir University. We develop a practical routing algorithm suitable for integration with existing navigation software to provide pandemic-aware path recommendations. Potential future extensions include incorporating additional variables like waiting times and line changes, as well as adapting the model for other infectious diseases. This research offers a valuable tool for urban travelers seeking to minimize infection risks during pandemic conditions.
title Finding the Best Route During the Pandemic Disease
topic Physics and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.02396