392 Pages
    by Chapman & Hall

    392 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
    by Chapman & Hall

    Understand the Strategic Behavior in Queueing Systems



    Rational Queueing provides one of the first unified accounts of the dynamic aspects involved in the strategic behavior in queues. It explores the performance of queueing systems where multiple agents, such as customers, servers, and central managers, all act but often in a noncooperative manner.





    The book first addresses observable queues and models that assume state-dependent behavior. It then discusses other types of information in queueing systems and compares observable and unobservable variations and incentives for information disclosure. The next several chapters present relevant models for the maximization of individual utilities, social welfare, and profits.





    After covering queueing networks, from simple parallel servers to general network structures, the author describes models for planned vacations and forced vacations (such as breakdowns). Focusing on supply chain models, he then shows how agents of these models may have different goals yet they all profit when the system operates efficiently. The final chapter allows bounded rationality by lowering the assumption of fully rational agents.

    Introduction. Observable queues. Information. Customer decisions. Social optimization and cooperation. Monopoly. Competition. Routing in queueing networks. Supply chains, outsourcing, and contracting. Vacations. Bounded rationality. Bibliography. Indices.

    Biography

    Refael Hassin is a professor in the Department of Statistics and Operations Research at Tel Aviv University. A prominent international scholar, Dr. Hassin is well recognized for his contributions in the area of rational queueing. He has received four grants from the Israel Science Foundation to investigate strategic queueing systems. His research interests include discrete optimization and the economics of queues. He received his PhD in operations research (with distinction) from Yale University.

    "This unique bibliographical volume by a foremost researcher in the area of strategic queues, or game theoretical analysis of queueing systems, provides a complete panorama of the extensive literature that was published in this area in recent years, spanning the period since the by-now classical monograph of Hassin and Haviv (2003) up to the present day. With over 700 references, individual papers are typically summarized in a paragraph or two, highlighting their essential contribution. The surveyed articles are arranged within a thoughtful subject classification, which makes it easy to focus on topics of interest, while the chronological ordering within each subject clearly displays the progression of ideas and results. Anyone who works in the area of strategic queues should have this book handy on his or her bookshelf. A newcomer may first study the above-mentioned monograph and come back to the present book to fully realize the state of the art."

    - Nahum Shimkin, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Technion

    "Rational Queueing provides a comprehensive and authoritative survey of recent research on strategic behavior in queueing systems. Focusing on advances in the field since the publication of the classic To Queue or Not to Queue, the author brings the reader up to date by summarizing and organizing over 700 papers from multiple disciplines in a unifying framework. This book will serve as an indispensable reference for researchers, students, and teachers in this area."

    - Philipp Afèche, Associate Professor of Operations Management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

    "Rational Queueing is the book that defines and summarizes the important area of operations research that combines queueing with game theory. This is a must-have reference for anyone that is interested in game-theoretic considerations in queueing models. It will be immensely useful as an introduction for beginners and a