Single-server queues with spatially distributed arrivals

Consider a queueing system where customers arrive at a circle according to a homogeneous Poisson process. After choosing their positions on the circle, according to a uniform distribution, they wait for a single server who travels on the circle. The server's movement is modelled by a Brownian motion with drift. Whenever the server encounters a customer, he stops and serves this customer. The service times are independent, but arbitrarily distributed. The model generalizes the continuous cyclic polling system (the diffusion coefficient of the Brownian motion is zero in this case) and can be interpreted as a continuous version of a Markov polling system. Using Tweedie's lemma for positive recurrence of Markov chains with general state space, we show that the system is stable if and only if the traffic intensity is less than one. Moreover, we derive a stochastic decomposition result which leads to equilibrium equations for the stationary configuration of customers on the circle. Steady-state performance characteristics are determined, in particular the expected number of customers in the system as seen by a travelling server and at an arbitrary point in time.     

Asymptotic properties of constrained Markov Decision Processes

We present in this paper several asymptotic properties of constrained Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) with a countable state space. We treat both the discounted and the expected average cost, with unbounded cost. We are interested in (1) the convergence of finite horizon MDPs to the infinite horizon MDP, (2) convergence of MDPs with a truncated state space to the problem with infinite state space, (3) convergence of MDPs as the discount factor goes to a limit. In all these cases we establish the convergence of optimal values and policies. Moreover, based on the optimal policy for the limiting problem, we construct policies which are almost optimal for the other (approximating) problems. Based on the convergence of MDPs with a truncated state space to the problem with infinite state space, we show that an optimal stationary policy exists such that the number of randomisations it uses is less or equal to the number of constraints plus one. We finally apply the results to a dynamic scheduling problem.This work was partially supported by the Chateaubriand fellowship from the French embassy in Israel and by the European Grant BRA-QMIPS of CEC DG XIII     

Relationships between characteristics in periodic Poisson queues

We study single server periodic queues in the day equilibrium conditions. The following characteristics of interest are considered at time of dayt: V^p(t)-the work load, L^p(t)-the number of customers and u^p(t)-the departure rate. We give relationships between E[V^p(t)], E[L^p(t)] and u^p(t). We also prove that E[V^p(t)] < and E[L^p(t)] < provided the second moment of the service time is finite.     

Circuit-switching networks with FIFO plus justifying blockout service on infinite graphs

A class of circuit-switching open queueing networks is discussed. The main result of the paper is that if extra message flows are not too intensive and the path distribution is mainly concentrated on the paths of (graph) distance 1 (nearest neighbour connections), then the network has a unique stationary working regime, no matter how large the configuration graph of the network is. Standard properties of this regime are established such as decay of correlation and continuity.     

On the cover time of random walks on graphs

This article deals with random walks on arbitrary graphs. We consider the cover time of finite graphs. That is, we study the expected time needed for a random walk on a finite graph to visit every vertex at least once. We establish an upper bound ofO(n ²) for the expectation of the cover time for regular (or nearly regular) graphs. We prove a lower bound of (n logn) for the expected cover time for trees. We present examples showing all our bounds to be tight.Mike Saks was supported by NSF-DMS87-03541 and by AFOSR-0271. Jeff Kahn was supported by MCS-83-01867 and by AFOSR-0271.     

Stochastic flows on a countable set: Convergence in distribution

Consider a sequenceF ₁,F ₂,... of i.i.d. random transformations from a countable setV toV. Such a sequence describes a discrete-time stochastic flow onV, in which the position at timen of a particle that started at sitex isM _n(x), whereM _n =F _n F _n–1 F ₁. We give conditions on the law ofF ₁ for the sequence (M _n) to be tight, and describe the possible limiting law. an example called the block charge model is introduced. The results can be formulated as a statement about the convergence in distribution of products of infinite-dimensional random stochastic matrices. In practical terms, they describe the possible equilibria for random motions of systems of particles on a countable set, without births or deaths, where each site may be occupied by any number of particles, and all particles at a particular site move together.     

Pattern formation in diffusion-limited reactions

The conditions for macroscopic segregation ofA andB in a steady-stateA+B 0 reaction are studied in infinite systems. Segregation occurs in one and two dimensions and is marginal ford=3. We note the dependence of these results on the precise experimental conditions assumed in the theory. We also note the difference between these results and our earlier ones for finite systems where the critical dimension isd=2.     

Existence of finitely optimal solutions for infinite-horizon optimal control problems

In this paper, we investigate the existence of finitely optimal solutions for the Lagrange problem of optimal control defined on [0, ) under weaker convexity and seminormality hypotheses than those of previous authors. The notion of finite optimality has been introduced into the literature as the weakest of a hierarchy of types of optimality that have been defined to permit the study of Lagrange problems, arising in mathematical economics, whose cost functions either diverge or are not bounded below. Our method of proof requires us to analyze the continuous dependence of finite-interval Lagrange problems with respect to a prescribed terminal condition. Once this is done, we show that a finitely optimal solution can be obtained as the limit of a sequence of solutions to a sequence of corresponding finite-horizon optimal control problems. Our results utilize the convexity and seminormality hypotheses which are now classical in the existence theory of optimal control.This research forms part of the author's doctoral dissertation written at the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware under the supervision of Professor Thomas S. Angell.     

Partial molar volumes of cryptand-222 in organic solvents at 25°C

The partial molar volumes at infinite dilution of cryptand-222 (C-222) in water, methanol, acetonitrile, ethanol, dimethylsulfoxide, propanol, 2-propanol, chloroform, benzene, 1-butanol, cyclohexane, butyl-methylketone, hexane, tetrahydronaphthalene, heptane, octane, cyclohexylbenzene and decane were measured at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 mol-L^–1 at 25°C. The partial molar volumes at infinite dilution showed remarkable dependency on the molar volume of the solvent. The partial molar volumes at infinite dilution for C-222 increase as the solvent molar volume increases.     

Thermody namic functions of 1,2-alkanediols in dilute aqueous solutions

The heat capacities of binary aqueous solutions of 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol and 1,2-butanediol were measured at temperatures ranging from 283.15 to 338.15 K by differential scanning calorimetry. The partial molar heat capacities at the infinite dilution were then calculated for the respective alkanediols. For 1,2-ethanediol or 1,2-propanediol, the partial molar heat capacities at the infinite dilution of increased with increasing temperature. In contrast, the partial molar heat capacities of 1,2-butanediol at the infinite dilution decreased with increasing temperature. Heat capacity changes by dissolution of the alkanediols were also determined. Heat capacity changes caused by the dissolution of 1,2-ethanediol or 1,2-propanediol were increase with increasing temperature. On the other hand, heat capacity changes caused by the dissolution of 1,2-butanediol are decrease with increasing temperature. Thus our results indicated that the structural changes of water caused by the dissolution of 1,2-butanediol differed from that of the two other alkanediols. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.