How can you use Markov chains to model a queueing system?
Queueing systems are ubiquitous in many fields and industries, such as manufacturing, logistics, health care, and telecommunications. They involve customers or items arriving at a service facility, waiting in a line or buffer, and being served by one or more servers. How can you analyze and optimize the performance of such systems, such as minimizing the waiting time, maximizing the throughput, or balancing the costs and benefits? One powerful tool is Markov chains, which are mathematical models that capture the probabilistic behavior of systems that change over time.