Comparative effectiveness of certain queueing systems with adaptive demand and service mechanisms

Abstract

This paper sets out to evaluate simple queueing models embodying the concept of adaptation of service to demand and vice versa, systems which hold out the promise of improved operational characteristics by comparison with conventional non-adaptive systems. Over the many years during which research in queueing theory has been in progress there has been little concern with models of this kind, yet it is in the direction of environmental adaptation that one must look for operational improvements. The models studied are mainly of birth and death type. Some consideration is given to renewal models which, in a certain sense, are the equivalents of birth and death types. The emphasis in the paper is placed on the requirements of an operational assessment and on its realization. The use of digital computers in research of this kind is underlined. For illustration extracts from [9] are used to describe the performance of three fundamental adaptive systems.