NORTON'S THEOREM FOR BATCH ROUTING QUEUEING NETWORKS

This paper shows that the aggregation and decomposition result known as Norton's theorem for queueing networks can be extended to a general class of batch routing queueing networks with product-form solution that allows for multiple components to simultaneously release and receive (batches of) customers.     

Matrix Product-Form Solutions for LCFs Preemptive Service Single-Server Queues with Batch Markovian Arrival Streams

ABSTRACT

This paper considers three variants of last-come first-served (LCFS) preemptive service single-server queues, where customers are served under the LCFS preemptive resume (LCFS-PR), preemptive repeat-different (LCFS-PD), and preemptive repeat-identical (LCFS-PI) disciplines, respectively. These LCFS queues are fed by multiple batch Markovian arrival streams. Service times of customers from each arrival stream are generally distributed and their distributions may differ among different streams. For each of LCFS-PR, LCFS-PD, and LCFS-PI queues, we show that the stationary distribution of the queue string representing enough information to keep track of queueing dynamics has a matrix product-form solution. Further, this paper discusses the stability of LCFS-PD and LCFS-PI queues based on the busy cycle. Finally, by numerical experiment, we examine the impact of the variation of the service time distribution on the mean queue lengths for the three variants of LCFS queues.     

Cross-infection in epidemics spread by carriers

A block-structured transient Markov process is introduced to describe an epidemic spreading within two linked populations, of carriers and susceptibles. The epidemic terminates as soon as there are no more carriers or susceptibles present in the population. Our purpose is to determine the distribution of the final susceptible and carrier states, and of any integral path for the susceptible process. The transient epidemic state is also briefly discussed. Then, the model is extended to allow the recovery of infected individuals. Finally, several particular models, some known, are used for illustration.     

Convex transformation on survival functions and related dependence concepts

Some concepts of stochastic dependence for continuous bivariate distribution functions are investigated by defining a convex transformation on their reliability or survival functions. We also study notions of bivariate hazard rate and hazard dependence. Some dependence orderings are characterized by using convex transformation. To clarify the discussions, illustrative examples are given.     

A family of bivariate binomial distributions generated by extreme bernoulli distributions

In this paper, bivariate binomial distributions generated by extreme bivariate Bernoulli distributions are obtained and studied. Representation of the bivariate binomial distribution generated by a convex combination of extreme bivariate Bernoulli distributions as a mixture of distributions in the class of bivariate binomial distribution generated by extreme bivariate Bernoulli distribution is obtained. A subfamily of bivariate binomial distributions exhibiting the property of positive and negative dependence is constructed. Some results on positive dependence notions as it relates to the bivariate binomial distribution generated by extreme bivariate Bernoulli distribution and a linear combination of such distributions are obtained.     

The decreasing percentile residual life ageing notion

Earlier researchers have studied some aspects of the classes of distribution functions with decreasing α-percentile residual life (DPRL(α)), 0<α<1. The purpose of this paper is to note some further properties of these classes, and to initiate a theory of non-parametric statistical estimation of DPRL(α) functions. Specifically, the close relationship between the DPRL(α) and the increasing failure rate ageing notions is studied. Other close relationships, between the DPRL(α) ageing notions and the percentile residual life stochastic orders, are described, and further properties of the above classes of distributions are derived. Finally, we introduce an estimator of the percentile residual life function, under the condition that it decreases, and we prove its strongly uniform consistency.     

Positive dependence of random variables with a common marginal distribution

In this paper we review some notions of positive dependence of random variables with a common univariate marginal distribution and describe the related moment and probability inequalities. We first present a comparison between i.i.d. random variables and exchangeable random variables via an application of de Finetti's theorem, then describe some useful probability inequalities via partial orderings of the strength of their positive dependence. Finally, we state a result for random variables which are not necessarily exchangeable. Special applications to the multivariate normal distribution will be discussed, and the results involve only the correlation matrix of the distribution.     

SMALL AND PSEUDO-SMALL SETS FOR MARKOV CHAINS

In this paper we examine the relationship between small sets and their generalisation, pseudo-small sets. We consider conditions which imply the equivalence of the two notions, and give examples where they are definitely different. We give further examples where sets are both pseudo-small and small, but the minorisation constants implied by the two notions are different. Applications of recent computable bounds results are given and extended. We also give a result linking the ideas of monotonicity and minorisation. Specifically we demonstrate that if a non-monotone chain satisfies a minorisation condition, and furthermore is stochastically dominated by a monotone chain which satisfies a Lyapunov drift condition, then a probability construction exists which incorporates both the bounding process and the minorisation condition.     

The influence of the sample on the posterior distribution

In this paper, we present conditions on the likelihood function and on the prior distribution which permit us to assess the effect of the sample on the posterior distribution. Our work is inspired by Whitt (1979) J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 74, and is based on the notions of multivariate totally positive and (strongly) mul-tivariate reverse rule functions introduced and studied by Karlin and Rinott (1980a, b)     

The sample monomode and an associated test for discrete monomodality

Abstract

The notions of (sample) mean, median and mode are common tools for describing the central tendency of a given probability distribution. In this article, we propose a new measure of central tendency, the sample monomode, which is related to the notion of sample mode. We also illustrate the computation of the sample monomode and propose a statistical test for discrete monomodality based on the likelihood ratio statistic.     

Nonparametric Inference for a Partially Observed Compartmental Process

Methods of nonparametric inference are proposed for a process with two transient and three absorbing states. It is assumed that the time of transitions between the transient states are unobservable. One area of applications is in epidemiology where the transient states correspond to healthy and ill, while the absorbing states correspond to types of death. It is the onset of illness which is not observable. An estimate is given for a cumulative hazard rate between the transient states, the exit hazard rates are estimated at a specific point in time and a statistic for comparing exit rates from the transient states is given.     

Some Results Based on a Version of the Generalized Dynamic Entropies

We propose new dynamic measures of uncertainty based on the notion of generalized dynamic entropy introduced in Di Crescenzo and Longobardi (2006). These can uniquely determine distribution functions in continuous and discrete cases, and the characterizations of some well-known distributions are provided. We also define some orderings and aging notions based on the generalized dynamic measures, and prove some of their properties, obtaining as corollaries results that have recently appeared in the literature.     

A multiple warm standby δ-shock system with a repairman having multiple vacations

In this article, a warm standby n-unit system is studied. The system is operational as long as there is one unit normal. The unit online, which has a lifetime distribution governed by a phase-type distribution, is also attacked by a shock from some external causes. Assume that shocks arrive according to a Poisson process. Whenever an interarrival time of shock is less than a threshold, the unit online fails. The lifetimes of the units in warm standby is exponentially distributed. A repairman who can take multiple vacations repairs the failed units based on the “first-in-first-out” rule. The repair times and the vacation times of repairman are governed by different phase-type distributions. For this system, the Markov process governing the system is constructed. The system is studied in a transient and stationary regime; the availability, the reliability, the rates of occurrence of the different types of failures, and the working probability of the repairman are calculated. A numerical application is performed to illustrate the calculations.     

Two notions of positive ageing based on stochastic dominance

The negative effects of age on the life length of a device or positive ageing are commonly used criteria for classifying life distributions. In this paper two notions of positive ageing are considered. These are the new better (worse) than used in average conditional survival probability and harmonic new better (worse) than used in upper tail. Closure of these notions under mixture and convolution are studied. The survivals of a device subject to discrete shocks of these notions of ageing which occur according to homogeneous Poisson processes are studied. A cumulative damage model is considered. Two test statistics are proposed for the two notions of ageing.     

Global stability of stochastic systems with Poisson distributed random time-delay

This paper gives global stability criteria for a controlled stochastic system with randomly distributed time-delay. The delay function is governed by a homogeneous Poisson process and is independent of the stochastic perturbation on the system. A delay-dependent gain controller is constructed and used to develop a stabilization criterion for the system. Based on the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional method and stochastic analysis theory, notions of stochastic stability are examined in terms of linear matrix inequality and global stability criteria derived.     

A note on a transient queuing system of a linear birth–immigration process in presence of twin births

In this article, we consider a simple transient queuing system, i.e., a linear birth process with immigration in the presence of twin births. We find the differential-difference equation and also the probability-generating function (p.g.f.) for this process. Again, we generalize it into a linear birth process with immigration in the presence of both single birth or twin births and again for the case of multiple births. From the p.g.f. of linear birth process with immigration in the presence of twin births, we find some particular transient queuing processes like linear birth process with twin births and simple immigration process. Direct derivations of mean and variance of these processes are also discussed without using the generating functions.     

Monte Carlo Simulation of Numerical Integration

A Monte Carlo simulation program based on accompanying probability theory is developed and implemented to examine the trustworthiness of certain methods used in numerical integration. The power and reliability of an approximation process are defined. Using the simulation, estimated power and reliability values are obtained for the Trapezoidal rule, for Simpson’s rule, and for Romberg integration in conjunction with several frequently used stopping rules. The above-mentioned approximation processes are then analyzed and compared within the context of these two fundamental notions.     

Likelihood ratio test against simple stochastic ordering among several multinomial populations

Stochastic ordering between probability distributions has been widely studied in the past 50 years. Because it is often easy to make valuable judgments when such orderings exist, it is desirable to recognize their existence and to model distributional structures under them. Likelihood ratio test is the most commonly used method to test hypotheses involving stochastic orderings. Among the various formally defined notions of stochastic ordering, the least stringent is simple stochastic ordering. In this paper, we consider testing the hypothesis that all multinomial populations are identically distributed against the alternative that they are in simple stochastic ordering. We construct likelihood ratio test statistic for this hypothesis test problem, provide limit form of the objective function corresponding to the test statistic and show that the test statistic is asymptotically distributed as a mixture of chi-squared distributions, i.e., a chi-bar-squared distribution.     

Supermigrative copulas and positive dependence

Recent investigations about notions of bivariate aging have underlined the need to introduce some new properties of positive dependence for a bivariate random vector. Here, by using the recent notion of supermigrativity of a bivariate copula, a?positive dependence property is introduced and investigated. Comparisons with other notions of positive dependence are also presented.