The Suez Canal Problem

In the Suez Canal Problem we consider a multi-million dollar question of traffic flow
through the Suez Canal. Figure 1 illustrates the major features of the canal.
The Suez Canal is 1! "ilometers long# !$$-!% meters
wide# and &1 meters dee'. This short canal can dramaticall(
reduce the distance and cost of shi''ing goods around the coast of
)frica. For e*am'le# the distance between +eddah ,Saudi )rabia-
and the 'ort of Constanza ,.lac" Sea- is 11//1 miles 0ia the Ca'e
of 1ood 2o'e# while it is onl( 134 mile 0ia the Suez canal# thus a
sa0ing of 45 in distance is achie0ed. ) sa0ing of &!5 in distance
is also achie0ed b( using the Suez Canal for the tri' from
6otterdam in 2olland to To"(o in +a'an if com'ared with the
route round the )frican coast. )lmost /5 of sea trans'orted
world trade 'asses through the Suez canal each (ear.
The region of the canal a0ailable for shi' tra0el is
a''ro*imatel( 13 meters in width. This is not enough to allow
'assage in both directions. )s a result# the shi's must tra0el# in
con0o(s either 7orth-South or South-7orth. 1enerall(# the
demand for 'assage is the same in both directions. The onl(
'ositions along the canal which allow for shi's to 'ass are at the
.allah .('ass and the .itter 8a"es. The .allah .('ass is 1$
"ilometers in length# stretching from the %$ to $ "ilometer mar"
south of Port Said. The .itter 8a"es e*tend for 1 "ilometers#
from 1$$ to 11 "ilometers south of Port Said. In order for shi's
to 'ass# one con0o( must 'ull to the side and doc" at floating
moorings. The mo0ement of shi's in the o''osite direction ma"es
unmoored shi's too unstable and li"el( to run aground.
9nfortunatel(# the .allah .('ass has room for onl( 1/ shi's to
moor. The .itter 8a"es can accommodate u' to ! shi's at a time.
Traditionall(# the con0o( which mo0es South to 7orth ,S7- ne0er
sto's. The Con0o(s which mo0e 7orth to South ,7S- 'ull aside
at the .allah .('ass and the .itter 8a"es to allow the con0o(
mo0ing S7 to 'ass. The timing is im'ortant# so that the con0o(s
will meet each other at the 'ro'er 'laces.
Since the S7 con0o( ne0er doc"s# its size is not limited b( the size of the 'assing zones.
2owe0er# the first 7S con0o( can be at most ! shi's and the second at most 1/ shi's. This
limits the number of shi's mo0ing 7S to %!. 9nder the assum'tion that there must be the same
number of shi's mo0ing S7 as 7S# the total shi''ing each da( is limited to 1$. .ut this is much
more than is actuall( mo0ed through the canal. The size of the canal is not the limiting factor.
In the first model of traffic in the canal# we will assume that all shi's mo0e through the
canal at 1: "m;hr. <o0ing more ra'idl( 'roduces too much wash on the shore# damaging the
shoreline and endangering the 'o'ulation which li0es on the shore. )t this s'eed# the shi's must
maintain a minimum se'aration of 1$ minutes. Since there is little maneu0ering room in the canal#
Bitter Lakes
36 ships max
Ballah Bypass
17 ships max
NOT!
Port Sai"
#e"iterranean Sea
SO$T!
Port Te%&ik
e" Sea
it is essential that the shi's ha0e enough room to sto' if the shi' 'receding them through the canal
has difficult(. The =g('tian Canal )uthorit( is interested in mo0ing as man( shi's through the
canal as 'ossible under the s'eed and se'aration conditions stated. )t 'resent# the( a0erage /
shi's each da(. If the( are able to increase the number of shi's b( onl( two each da(# at >1$$#$$$
a shi'# this would mean an annual increase of >/!#$$$#$$$ for the =g('tian treasur(.
+ust wh( is it im'ossible to mo0e 1$ shi's through the canal? @nce we "now the answer
to that# we can consider how to increase the number of shi's which actuall( are 'assed through
the canal and# in fact# determine the largest number 'ossible. Ahat is needed is a method of
re'resenting the mo0ement of a con0o( through the canal. Ae need a mathematical model of
traffic through the Suez Canal.
The model we choose for this 'roblem is a sim'le gra'h. The 0ertical a*is re'resents the
'h(sical canal and the units are "ilometers# while the horizontal a*is re'resents time# and is
measured in hours. Ae can trace the 'ath of a shi' as it tra0els through the canal b( drawing lines
on this gra'h.
7otice that the .allah .('ass and .itter 8a"es are mar"ed. Ae can describe the 'assage
of a shi' mo0ing S7 b( a line mo0ing u' the 'age with a slo'e of 1: and shi' mo0ing 7S b( a
line mo0ing down the 'age with a slo'e of -1:. @n the gra'h below# 'lot a 'ath that describes a
shi' that lea0es Port Said at &B$$# arri0ed at the .allah .('ass at %B!$# tra0eled into the .('ass
for another !$ minutes and doc"ed at B$$. )fter 1 hour it began its journe( again# arri0ing at the
.itter 8a"es at a''ro*imatel( 1$B$$. It tra0eled into the 8a"es for !$ minutes# doc"ing at 1$B!$.
)fter 3$ minutes# it again began its 'assage# arri0ing at Port Taufiq at 1B$$ hours.
If we can describe the 'ath of the first and last shi's in each of the con0o(s b( using the
gra'h described abo0e# we can sol0e the 'roblem of the Suez Canal. For the sa"e of sim'licit(#
letCs assume that the last shi' in a 7S con0o( must reach the beginning of the 'assing zone when
the first shi' of a S7 con0o( reaches the same end.
'uestion 1( If a con0o( of ten shi's lea0es Port Said at time $# when must the last shi' in a 1%
shi' S7 con0o( lea0e so that the con0o(s 'ass at .itter 8a"es?
'uestion )B Ah( canCt 1$ shi's go through the canal in a da(?
'uestion 3( If we choose to send ! shi's 7S in Con0o( ) and &% shi's S7 in Con0o( .# is it
'ossible to get the ma*imum number of shi's ,1/- through in Con0o( C? Ahen should the first
shi' in Con0o( C lea0e and when will the last 'ass Port Taufiq. Aould this s(stem wor" in the
real canal? =*'lain (our answer.
'uestion *( Does the number of shi's in Con0o( . affect the time which the 1/ shi's in Con0o(
C ha0e to ha0e com'leted their tri' through the canal?
'uestion +( Ahat is the largest number of shi's that can transit the canal in &: hours? Show
(our wor".
'uestion 6( Su''ose the Port )uthorit( decides to ma"e traffic one-wa( each da(. For
e*am'le# on <onda( traffic would be 7orth-South onl(# while on Tuesda( it would be
South-7orth onl(. 2ow man( shi's could mo0e through the canal in a &: hour 'eriod?
'uestion 7( 2ow man( shi's could 'ass through the canal if the Port )uthorit( used a :4 hour
schedule?
'uestion ,( Su''ose the =g('tian go0ernment is considering enlarging the canal at Ismalia to
create another area for shi's to 'ass. This area would be a''ro*imatel( % "ilometers in length#
from 4$ to 4% "ilometers south of Port Said# and would accommodate 1$ shi's. 2ow man(
additional shi's would this im'ro0ement allow to 'ass through the canal in a &:-hour 'eriod?
e&eren-e(
1riffiths# +eff# From an address at the Third International Conference on the Teaching of <athematical
<odeling and )''lications# 9ni0ersit( of Eassel# Aest 1erman(# Se'tember# 1344.