Which paradox holds that adding a road can slow overall traffic?

Which paradox holds that adding a road can slow overall traffic?

• A. Desire paths
• B. Vector based navigation
• C. Braess's Paradox
• D. The Steiner Tree Problem

Answer: (C)

Braess's Paradox shows how traffic networks can behave counterintuitively when drivers choose routes selfishly. Each driver picks what seems fastest for themselves, so the system settles into a Nash equilibrium where no individual can do better by switching routes. When a new road is added, it can make some routes appear faster, prompting more drivers to take it. But as many drivers flock to the new shortcut, congestion on shared links increases, and the overall travel time for everyone ends up higher than before. In short, the new road changes route choices in a way that raises total delay. The other concepts don’t describe this phenomenon. Desire paths are informal shortcuts people create on foot, not about network-wide traffic effects from adding roads. Vector based navigation refers to directional guidance in algorithms, not a paradox about road networks. The Steiner Tree Problem is about connecting points with minimal total edge length, unrelated to how traffic distributes itself.

Braess's Paradox shows how traffic networks can behave counterintuitively when drivers choose routes selfishly. Each driver picks what seems fastest for themselves, so the system settles into a Nash equilibrium where no individual can do better by switching routes. When a new road is added, it can make some routes appear faster, prompting more drivers to take it. But as many drivers flock to the new shortcut, congestion on shared links increases, and the overall travel time for everyone ends up higher than before. In short, the new road changes route choices in a way that raises total delay.

The other concepts don’t describe this phenomenon. Desire paths are informal shortcuts people create on foot, not about network-wide traffic effects from adding roads. Vector based navigation refers to directional guidance in algorithms, not a paradox about road networks. The Steiner Tree Problem is about connecting points with minimal total edge length, unrelated to how traffic distributes itself.