The physics of traffic : empirical freeway pattern features engineering applications and theory In this monograph the author presents his so called empirical spatial temporal traffic pattern formation he had developed to reconcile the extremely complex dynamical non linear process with empirical patterns that have been sufficiently understood only recently. In the first part earlier traffic flow theories and mathematical models are reviewed. In the second part the empirical spatial temporal patterns are given and finally in parts III and IV the mathematical model and the engineering applications are presented. The book addresses researchers and practitioners alike