A Review of Birth-Death and Other Markovian Discrete-Time Queues

In this review article, we consider discrete-time birth-death processes and their applications to discrete-time queues. To make the analysis simpler to follow, we focus on transform-free methods and consider instances of non-birth-death Markovian discrete-time systems. We present a number of results within one discrete-time framework that parallels the treatment of continuous time models. This approach has two advantages; first, it unifies the treatment of several discrete-time models in one framework, and second, it parallels to the extent possible the treatment of continuous time models. This allows us to draw parallels and contrasts between the discrete and continuous time queues. Specifically, we focus on birth-death applications to the single server discrete-time model with Bernoulli arrivals and geometric service times and provide the reader with a simple rigorous detailed analysis that covers all five scheduling rules considered in the literature, with attention to stationary distributions at slot edges, slot centers, and prearrival epochs. We also cover the waiting time distributions. Moreover, we cover three Markovian models that fit the global balance equations. Our approach provides interesting insights into the behavior of discrete-time queues. The article is intended for those who are familiar with queueing theory basics and would like a simple, yet rigorous introductory treatment to discrete-time queues.