Note on the article: Maximum entropy analysis of the M [ x] /M/1 queueing system with multiple vacations and server breakdowns

Abstract

Wang et al. [Wang, K. H., Chan, M. C., & Ke, J. C. (2007). Maximum entropy analysis of the M [ x] /M/1 queueing system with multiple vacations and server breakdowns. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 52, 192–202] elaborate on an interesting approach to estimate the equilibrium distribution for the number of customers in the M [ x] /M/1 queueing model with multiple vacations and server breakdowns. Their approach consists of maximizing an entropy function subject to constraints, where the constraints are formed by some known exact results. By a comparison between the exact expression for the expected delay time and an approximate expected delay time based on the maximum entropy estimate, they argue that their maximum entropy estimate is sufficiently accurate for practical purposes. In this note, we show that their maximum entropy estimate is easily rejected by simulation. We propose a minor modification of their maximum entropy method that significantly improves the quality of the estimate.