A Diffusion Approximation for a Markovian Queue with Reneging

Consider a single-server queue with a Poisson arrival process and exponential processing times in which each customer independently reneges after an exponentially distributed amount of time. We establish that this system can be approximated by either a reflected Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process or a reflected affine diffusion when the arrival rate exceeds or is close to the processing rate and the reneging rate is close to 0. We further compare the quality of the steady-state distribution approximations suggested by each diffusion.     

Optimal control of a production-inventory system with customer impatience

We consider the control of a production-inventory system with impatient customers. We show that the optimal policy can be described using two thresholds: a production base-stock level that determines when production takes place and an admission threshold that determines when orders should be accepted. We describe an algorithm for computing the performance of the system for any choice of base-stock level and admission threshold. In a numerical study, we compare the performance of the optimal policy against several other policies.     

A Diffusion Approximation for a GI/GI/1 Queue with Balking or Reneging

Consider a single-server queue with a renewal arrival process and generally distributed processing times in which each customer independently reneges if service has not begun within a generally distributed amount of time. We establish that both the workload and queue-length processes in this system can be approximated by a regulated Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (ROU) process when the arrival rate is close to the processing rate and reneging times are large. We further show that a ROU process also approximates the queue-length process, under the same parameter assumptions, in a balking model. Our balking model assumes the queue-length is observable to arriving customers, and that each customer balks if his or her conditional expected waiting time is too large.     

Asymptotic Results and a Markovian Approximation for the M(n)/M(n)/s+GI System

In this paper for the M(n)/M(n)/s+GI system, i.e. for a s-server queueing system where the calls in the queue may leave the system due to impatience, we present new asymptotic results for the intensities of calls leaving the system due to impatience and a Markovian system approximation where these results are applied. Furthermore, we present a new proof for the formulae of the conditional density of the virtual waiting time distributions, recently given by Movaghar for the less general M(n)/M/s+GI system. Also we obtain new explicit expressions for refined virtual waiting time characteristics as a byproduct.     

Analysis of the adaptive MMAP[K]/PH[K]/1 queue: A multi-type queue with adaptive arrivals and general impatience

In this paper we introduce the adaptive MMAP[K] arrival process and analyze the adaptive MMAP[K]/PH[K]/1 queue. In such a queueing system, customers of K different types with Markovian inter-arrival times and possibly correlated customer types, are fed to a single server queue that makes use of r thresholds. Service times are phase-type and depend on the type of customer in service. Type k customers are accepted with some probability a_i,k if the current workload is between threshold i − 1 and i. The manner in which the arrival process changes its state after generating a type k customer also depends on whether the customer is accepted or rejected.     

On a Two-Queue Priority System with Impatience and its Application to a Call Center*

We consider an s-server priority system with a protected and an unprotected queue. The arrival rates at the queues and the service rate may depend on the number n of customers being in service or in the protected queue, but the service rate is assumed to be constant for n > s. As soon as any server is idle, a customer from the protected queue will be served according to the FCFS discipline. However, the customers in the protected queue are impatient. If the offered waiting time exceeds a random maximal waiting time I, then the customer leaves the protected queue after time I. If I is less than a given deterministic time, then he leaves the system, else he will be transferred by the system to the unprotected queue. The service of a customer from the unprotected queue will be started if the protected queue is empty and more than a given number of servers become idle. The model is a generalization of the many-server queue with impatient customers. The global balance conditions seem to have no explicit solution. However, the balance conditions for the density of the stationary state process for the subsystem of customers being in service or in the protected queue can be solved. This yields the stability conditions and the probabilities that precisely n customers are in service or in the protected queue. For obtaining performance measures for the unprotected queue, a system approximation based on fitting impatience intensities is constructed. The results are applied to the performance analysis of a call center with an integrated voice-mail-server.     

Finite-Buffer Queues with Workload-Dependent Service and Arrival Rates

We consider M/G/1 queues with workload-dependent arrival rate, service speed, and restricted accessibility. The admittance of customers typically depends on the amount of work found upon arrival in addition to its own service requirement. Typical examples are the finite dam, systems with customer impatience and queues regulated by the complete rejection discipline. Our study is motivated by queueing scenarios where the arrival rate and/or speed of the server depends on the amount of work present, like production systems and the Internet.First, we compare the steady-state distribution of the workload in two finite-buffer models, in which the ratio of arrival and service speed is equal. Second, we find an explicit expression for the cycle maximum in an M/G/1 queue with workload-dependent arrival and service rate. And third, we derive a formal solution for the steady-state workload density in case of restricted accessibility. The proportionality relation between some finite and infinite-buffer queues is extended. Level crossings and Volterra integral equations play a key role in our approach.AMS subject classification: 60K25, 90B22     

Optimal equilibrium barrier strategies for time-inconsistent dividend problems in discrete time

This paper studies a time-inconsistent dividend problem in discrete time with nonexponential discounting. Motivated by the decreasing impatience in behaviour economics, a general discount function is used and assumed to be log sub-additive. Using a game-theoretic approach equilibrium barrier strategies are considered. It is shown that in the case of multiple equilibria, there exists an optimal one that pointwisely dominates all the other equilibria. Case studies are conducted where there is no equilibrium, multiple equilibria, and a unique equilibrium.