Optimal Operation of Queues

The early growth of queueing theory was motivated by the design of telephone and other service systems. As the literature expanded, much of its growth consisted of mathematical theory suggested by the literature itself rather than by congested service systems. This self-sustaining theoretical growth has been coupled recently with a renewed pragmatic motivation. The result has been an increase in the volume of prescriptive research in queueing theory. Most of these recent contributions begin by embellishing a standard queueing model with a cost structure. Although they go on to address the question of optimal design or of optimal operation, one might imagine that including a cost structure is merely hanging bells and jangles on a standard model. Although that conjecture may be valid, the analysis of normative queueing models often differs fundamentally from the derivation of properties of descriptive models and it provides new insights into how congestion should be managed.