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Effects of system parameters on the optimal policy structure in a class of queueing control problems

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Abstract

This paper studies a class of queueing control problems involving commonly used control mechanisms such as admission control and pricing. It is well established that in a number of these problems, there is an optimal policy that can be described by a few parameters. From a design point of view, it is useful to understand how such an optimal policy varies with changes in system parameters. We present a general framework to investigate the policy implications of the changes in system parameters by using event-based dynamic programming. In this framework, the control model is represented by a number of common operators, and the effect of system parameters on the structured optimal policy is analyzed for each individual operator. Whenever a queueing control problem can be modeled by these operators, the effects of system parameters on the optimal policy follow from this analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA

    Eren Başar Çil

  2. Department of Industrial Engineering, Koç University, İstanbul, Turkey

    E. Lerzan Örmeci & Fikri Karaesmen

Authors
  1. Eren Başar Çil
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  2. E. Lerzan Örmeci
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  3. Fikri Karaesmen
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Correspondence to E. Lerzan Örmeci.

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Çil, E.B., Örmeci, E.L. & Karaesmen, F. Effects of system parameters on the optimal policy structure in a class of queueing control problems. Queueing Syst 61, 273–304 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11134-009-9109-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11134-009-9109-x

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