Skip to main content
Log in

Algorithms for the upper bound mean waiting time in the GI/GI/1 queue

  • Published:
Queueing Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It has long been conjectured that the tight upper bound for the mean steady-state waiting time in the GI/GI/1 queue given the first two moments of the interarrival-time and service-time distributions is attained asymptotically by two-point distributions. The two-point distribution for the interarrival time has one mass point at 0, but the service-time distribution involves a limit; there is one mass point at a high value, but that upper mass point must increase to infinity while the probability on that point must decrease to 0 appropriately. In this paper, we develop effective numerical and simulation algorithms to compute the value of this conjectured tight bound. The algorithms are aided by reductions of the special queues with extremal interarrival-time and extremal service-time distributions to D/GI/1 and GI/D/1 models. Combining these reductions yields an overall representation in terms of a D/RS(D)/1 discrete-time model involving a geometric random sum of deterministic random variables (the RS(D)), where the two deterministic random variables in the model may have different values, so that the extremal steady-state waiting time need not have a lattice distribution. Efficient computational methods are developed. The computational results show that the conjectured tight upper bound offers a significant improvement over established bounds.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abate, J., Whitt, W.: The Fourier-series method for inverting transforms of probability distributions. Queueing Syst. 10, 5–88 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Abate, J., Choudhury, G.L., Whitt, W.: Calculation of the GI/G/1 steady-state waiting-time distribution and its cumulants from Pollaczek’s formula. Archiv fur Elektronik und Ubertragungstechnik 47(5/6), 311–321 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Asmussen, S.: Applied Probability and Queues, second edn. Springer, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Billingsley, P.: Convergence of Probability Measures. Wiley, New York (1999)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, Y., Whitt, W.: Supplement to Algorithms for the Upper Bound Mean Waiting Time in the \(GI/GI/1\) Queue. Columbia: Columbia University, http://www.columbia.edu/~ww2040/allpapers.html, (2019)

  6. Chen, Y., Whitt, W.: Set-Valued Queueing Approximations Given Partial Information. Columbia: Columbia University, http://www.columbia.edu/~ww2040/allpapers.html (2019)

  7. Chen, Y., Whitt, W.: Extremal \(GI/GI/1\) Queues Given Two Moments: Exploiting Tchebycheff Systems. Columbia: Columbia University, http://www.columbia.edu/~ww2040/allpapers.html, (2020)

  8. Chung, K.L.: A Course in Probability Theory, third edn. Academic Press, New York (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Corless, R.M., Gonnet, G.H., Hare, D.E.G., Jeffrey, D.J., Knuth, D.E.: On the Lambert \(w\) function. Adv. Comput. Math. 5, 329–359 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Daley, D.J.: Inequalities for moments of tails of random variables, with queueing applications. Zeitschrift fur Wahrscheinlichkeitsetheorie Verw. Gebiete 41, 139–143 (1977)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Daley, D.J., Kreinin, A Ya., Trengove, C.D.: Inequalities concerning the waiting-time in single-server queues: a survey. In: Bhat, U.N., Basawa, I.V. (eds.) Queueing and Related Models, pp. 177–223. Clarendon Press, Oxford (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Eckberg, A.E.: Sharp bounds on Laplace–Stieltjes transforms, with applications to various queueing problems. Math. Oper. Res. 2(2), 135–142 (1977)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Halfin, S.: Batch delays versus customer delays. Bell Lab. Tech. J. 62(7), 2011–2015 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kingman, J.F.C.: Inequalities for the queue \(GI/G/1\). Biometrika 49(3/4), 315–324 (1962)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Klincewicz, J.G., Whitt, W.: On approximations for queues, II: shape constraints. AT&T Bell Lab. Tech. J. 63(1), 139–161 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Marshall, K.T.: Some inequalities in queueing. Oper. Res. 16(3), 651–668 (1968)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Minh, D.L., Sorli, R.M.: Simulating the \(GI/G/1\) queue in heavy traffic. Oper. Res. 31(5), 966–971 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Muller, A., Stoyan, D.: Comparison Methods for Stochastic Models and Risks. Wiley, New York (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ott, T.J.: Simple inequalities for the \(D/G/1\) queue. Oper. Res. 35(4), 589–597 (1987)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ross, S.M.: Stochastic Processes, second edn. Wiley, New York (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ross, S.M.: Introduction to Probability Models, eleventh edn. Academic Press, New York (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Stoyan, D.: Comparison Methods for Queues and Other Stochastic Models. Wiley: New York, 1983. Translated and edited from 1977 German Edition by D. J. Daley (1977)

  23. Stoyan, D., Stoyan, H.: Inequalities for the mean waiting time in single-line queueing systems. Eng. Cybern. 12(6), 79–81 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Whitt, W.: Comparing batch delays and customer delays. Bell Lab. Tech. J. 62(7), 2001–2009 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Whitt, W.: On approximations for queues, I: extremal distributions. AT&T Bell Lab. Tech. J. 63(1), 115–137 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Whitt, W.: On approximations for queues, III: mixtures of exponential distributions. AT&T Bell Lab. Tech. J. 63(1), 163–175 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Whitt, W.: Deciding which queue to join: some counterexamples. Oper. Res. 34(1), 55–62 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Whitt, W.: Engineering solution of a basic call-center model. Manag. Sci. 51, 221–235 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wolff, R.W., Wang, C.: Idle period approximations and bounds for the \(GI/G/1\) queue. Adv. Appl. Probab. 35(3), 773–792 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by NSF CMMI 1634133.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ward Whitt.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, Y., Whitt, W. Algorithms for the upper bound mean waiting time in the GI/GI/1 queue. Queueing Syst 94, 327–356 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11134-020-09649-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11134-020-09649-9

Keywords

Mathematics Subject Classification

Navigation