Queuing Theory and Control

ENGN2226 Systems Engineering Analysis

Week 6 Lecture

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Key concepts for the exam
• §10.2 Monte Carlo analysis of queuing
• $10.3 Single channel queuing models
• $10.4 Multiple channel queuing models

Note that we’ll refer back

to Chapter 11 - Control Concepts and Methods
throughout the second half of the course
(it will not be in the exam).

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 Introduction to Queuing Theory

Single Channel Population

Arrival Service Facility

Waiting Line
Mechanism (eg bank teller)

Multiple Channel Population

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Airport example

4
Airport example

Population

Planes arriving Runway

Airport Gates
at an airport availability

5
General Rules
Arrival and service mechanisms
• Discrete arrivals and servicing
• Population is either infinite or finite

In the waiting line

• A waiting cost is associated with time in the line
• There are some strategies for dealing with a line:
eg. First In, First Out;
First In, Last Out;
Priority Service; Random
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Airport example
Arrival Service
Example Population Waiting Line
Mechanism Mechanism

Planes arriving Runway

Airport Global fleet Airport gates
at an airport availability

People walking
Bank teller Infinite Queue Bank tellers
in the door

Telephone Telephony Categorised

Infinite Operator
call centre infrastructure Virtual Queue

Loading dock Freight vehicles Dock Availability Staff/Forklifts

Cars arriving at
Traffic lights Infinite Cars waiting Green light
intersection

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Monte Carlo analysis
Useful if the arrival- and service-time do not
have the mathematical forms (for example, a
random sequence).

The Monte Carlo Analysis can be used to

simulate the waiting line data.

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Poisson Distribution
Is a discrete probability measure that predicts
the amount of spread around a known
measure.

i.e. if four customers enter a store every time

interval, it is unlikely that there will be exactly
four every time.

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Notation
λ: the expected arrivals per period
µ: the expected service completions
per period

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Single-Channel Queuing Models

Population

Arrival Service Facility

Waiting Line
Mechanism (eg bank teller)

A waiting line operation has a queue with

Poisson arrivals of 1/10 units per period,
and service duration is 1/4 units per period.

Hence, λ: 1/10 µ: 1/4

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Probability of n Units in the System
✓ ◆✓ ◆n
Pn = 1
µ µ

Hence: P0 = (0.6)(0.4)^0=0.60
P1 = 0.240
P2 = 0.096
P3 = 0.039
P4 = 0.015
P5 = 0.006
P6 = 0.002
P7 = 0.001
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Probability of n Units in the System
✓ ◆✓ ◆n
Pn = 1
µ µ
0.600
0.6
0.5
0.3 0.240

0.2 0.096
0.039 0.015 0.006 0.003 0.001
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Pn
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Mean number of units in the system

nm =
µ

Average length of the queue

2
mm =
µ(µ )

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Mean time waiting for service

wm =
µ(µ )

Mean time in the system

1
tm =
µ

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Notation in multiple channels
λ: the expected arrivals per period
µ: the expected service completions
per period
c: the number of channels (eg 3)

Population

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Multiple-Channel Queuing Models
Eg c: 3 λ: 0.5 µ: 0.25

Using:
1
P0,0 = 1 1
Pr=c 1 1
c
( µ ) ( c! )[ (1 ] + r
( µ ) ( r! )
r=0
cµ )

We get (see the textbook):

P0,0 = 1/9

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Average length of multi-channel queue
c+1
( /µ)
mm = P0,0 2
(c 1)!(c /µ)

Mean number of units

nm = mm +
µ

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Mean waiting time of multi-channel queue
mm
wm =

Holding time of multi-channel queue

1
dm = wm +
µ

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Other student applications
Poisson at a an intersection | hospital emergency
departments | checkouts and self-service | ATMs and
tellers | VIP customers and bank tellers | Scales at a
farmhouse | ports and containers | waiters and service |
cargo for import and export | Qantas call centre |
customers at a sushi restaurant | queues at restaurants
| IVR telephone systems | Restaurant queue | prepaid
olympic tickets / uni bar drinks | supermarket checkouts
| doctors and patients (and patience) | retail checkouts /
Monte Carlo (with video!) | toll plaza | supermarket
queues | DMV service | sea ports | restaurants | airports
and customers | McDonald’s lines |
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