English

Erlang Redux: An Ansatz Method for Solving the M/M/m Queue

Performance 2020-08-18 v1 Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing Networking and Internet Architecture

Abstract

This exposition presents a novel approach to solving an M/M/m queue for the waiting time and the residence time. The motivation comes from an algebraic solution for the residence time of the M/M/1 queue. The key idea is the introduction of an ansatz transformation, defined in terms of the Erlang B function, that avoids the more opaque derivation based on applied probability theory. The only prerequisite is an elementary knowledge of the Poisson distribution, which is already necessary for understanding the M/M/1 queue. The approach described here supersedes our earlier approximate morphing transformation.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2008.06823,
  title  = {Erlang Redux: An Ansatz Method for Solving the M/M/m Queue},
  author = {Neil J. Gunther},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.06823},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

13 pages, 7 figures, 2 Tables

R2 v1 2026-06-23T17:53:02.179Z