Systems and methods for managing dynamic transportation networks using simulated future scenarios

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a first transport request and a second transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider;

generating a simulated future transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request; and

matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request exceeds the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request exceeds the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request comprises performing a multi-stage stochastic optimization, wherein:

the first transport request and the second transport request are defined within an initial stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization; and

the simulated future transport request is defined within a subsequent stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the simulated future transport request specifies:

an origin location;

a destination location; and

a request time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a simulated future scenario that comprises:

the simulated future transport request; and

at least one simulated transportation provider.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,

further comprising generating a plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, each distinct simulated future scenario within the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios specifying a corresponding set of simulated future transport requests;

wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between the first transport request and each simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising weighting each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios according to a corresponding probability assigned to each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between pairs of simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a third transport request and a fourth transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider;

generating an additional simulated future transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request; and

declining to match, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the third transport request with the fourth transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request is less than the fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the dynamic transportation matching system is configured to search for a match for the first transport request within a first window of time and to search for a match for the second transport request within a second window of time; and

the simulated future transport request is simulated to take place after the first window of time and after the second window of time.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the dynamic transportation matching system and in response to matching the first transport request with the second transport request, transportation instructions to a transportation provider device specifying that a transportation provider:

pick up a first transportation requestor that originated the first transport request;

pick up a second transportation requestor that originated the second transport request;

transport the first transportation requestor and second transportation requestor together along a transportation overlap between the first transport requestor and the second transport requestor;

drop off the first transportation requestor; and

drop off the second transportation requestor.

11. A system comprising one or more physical processors and one or more memories coupled to one or more of the physical processors, the one or more memories comprising instructions operable when executed by the one or more physical processors to cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a first transport request and a second transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider;

generating a simulated future transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request; and

matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request exceeds the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request exceeds the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request comprises performing a multi-stage stochastic optimization, wherein:

the first transport request and the second transport request are defined within an initial stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization; and

the simulated future transport request is defined within a subsequent stage of the multi-stage stochastic optimization.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulated future transport request specifies:

an origin location;

a destination location; and

a request time.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise generating a simulated future scenario that comprises:

the simulated future transport request; and

at least one simulated transportation provider.

15. The system of claim 11 ,

wherein the operations further comprise generating a plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, each distinct simulated future scenario within the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios specifying a corresponding set of simulated future transport requests;

wherein matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between the first transport request and each simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise weighting each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios according to a corresponding probability assigned to each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise matching, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request is further based at least in part on evaluating, in each of the plurality of distinct simulated future scenarios, potential matches between pairs of simulated future transport requests within the corresponding set of simulated future transport requests.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a third transport request and a fourth transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider;

generating an additional simulated future transport request;

evaluating, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request; and

declining to match, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the third transport request with the fourth transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the third transport request with the fourth transport request is less than the fitness of matching the third transport request with the additional simulated future transport request.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the dynamic transportation matching system is configured to search for a match for the first transport request within a first window of time and to search for a match for the second transport request within a second window of time; and

the simulated future transport request is simulated to take place after the first window of time and after the second window of time.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive, by a dynamic transportation matching system, a first transport request and a second transport request;

evaluate, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request to be fulfilled by a transport provider;

generate a simulated future transport request;

evaluate, by the dynamic transportation matching system, a fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request; and

match, by the dynamic transportation matching system, the first transport request with the second transport request upon determining that the fitness of matching the first transport request with the second transport request exceeds the fitness of matching the first transport request with the simulated future transport request.