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A graphical investigation of error bounds for moment-based queueing approximations

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Abstract

Many approximations of queueing performance measures are based on moment matching. Empirical and theoretical results show that although approximations based on two moments are often accurate, two-moment approximations can be arbitrarily bad and sometimes three-moment approximations are far better. In this paper, we investigate graphically error bounds for two- and three-moment approximations of three performance measures forGI/M/ · type models. Our graphical analysis provides insight into the adequacy of two- and three-moment approximations as a function of standardized moments of the interarrival-time distribution. We also discuss how the behavior of these approximations varies with other model parameters and with the performance measure being approximated.

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Johnson, M.A., Taaffe, M.R. A graphical investigation of error bounds for moment-based queueing approximations. Queueing Syst 8, 295–312 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02412257

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