Commuting Matrices in the Queue Length and Sojourn Time Analysis of MAP/MAP/1 Queues

Queues with Markovian arrival and service processes, i.e., MAP/MAP/1 queues, have been useful in the analysis of computer and communication systems and different representations for their stationary sojourn time and queue length distribution have been derived. More specifically, the class of MAP/MAP/1 queues lies at the intersection of the class of QBD queues and the class of semi-Markovian queues. While QBD queues have a matrix exponential representation for their queue length and sojourn time distribution of order N and N², respectively, where N is the size of the background continuous time Markov chain, the reverse is true for a semi-Markovian queue. As the class of MAP/MAP/1 queues lies at the intersection, both the queue length and sojourn time distribution of a MAP/MAP/1 queue has an order N matrix exponential representation. The aim of this article is to understand why the order N² distributions of the sojourn time of a QBD queue and the queue length of a semi-Markovian queue can be reduced to an order N distribution in the specific case of a MAP/MAP/1 queue. We show that the key observation exists in establishing the commutativity of some fundamental matrices involved in the analysis of the MAP/MAP/1 queue.     

A Moment Preserving Finitization Across the Power Series Family of Probability Distributions

Finitization transforms a discrete distribution into a distribution with smaller support of specified size. In special cases finitization preserves moments (moments of the order n finitization coincide with those of the parent distribution). We create a moment preserving finitization method for power series distributions by introducing an alternative representation and showing how to finitize members of this new class in a manner that preserves moments of the parent distribution. We provide results on convolutions and a reproductive property for power series distributions that have been finitized in this manner, and show how these finitized distributions accelerate variate generation in simulation.     

Integral Representation of a Distribution Associated with a Pure Birth Process

ABSTRACT

This article deals with a distribution associated with a pure birth process starting with no individuals, with birth rates λ _n  = λ for n = 0, 2,…, m ? 1 and λ _n  = μ for n ≥ m. The probability mass function is expressed in terms of an integral that is very convenient for computing probabilities, moments, generating functions, and others. Using this representation, the kth factorial moments of the distribution is obtained. Some other forms of this distribution are also given.     

A discrete distribution associated with a pure birth process

A discrete distribution associated with a pure birth process starting with no individuals, with birth rates λ ⁿ =λ forn=0, 2, …,m−1 and λ ⁿ forn≥m is considered in this paper. The probability mass function is expressed in terms of an integral that is very convenient for computing probabilities, moments, generating functions and others. Using this representation, the mean and the k-th factorial moments of the distribution are obtained. Some nice characterizations of this distribution are also given.     

Matching Three Moments with Minimal Acyclic Phase Type Distributions

Abstract

A number of approximate analysis techniques are based on matching moments of continuous time phase type (PH) distributions. This paper presents an explicit method to compose minimal order continuous time acyclic phase type (APH) distributions with a given first three moments. To this end we also evaluate the bounds for the first three moments of order n APH distributions (APH(n)). The investigations of these properties are based on a basic transformation, which extends the APH(n ? 1) class with an additional phase in order to describe the APH(n) class.     

Tail Probability of Low-Priority Queue Length in a Discrete-Time Priority BMAP/PH/1 Queue

ABSTRACT

We investigate the tail probability of the queue length of low-priority class for a discrete-time priority BMAP/PH/1 queue that consists of two priority classes, with BMAP (Batch Markovian Arrival Process) arrivals of high-priority class and MAP (Markovian Arrival Process) arrivals of low-priority class. A sufficient condition under which this tail probability has the asymptotically geometric property is derived. A method is designed to compute the asymptotic decay rate if the asymptotically geometric property holds. For the case when the BMAP for high-priority class is the superposition of a number of MAP's, though the parameter matrices representing the BMAP is huge in dimension, the sufficient condition is numerically easy to verify and the asymptotic decay rate can be computed efficiently.     

Strong approximations for time-varying infinite-server queues with non-renewal arrival and service processes

In real stochastic systems, the arrival and service processes may not be renewal processes. For example, in many telecommunication systems such as internet traffic where data traffic is bursty, the sequence of inter-arrival times and service times are often correlated and dependent. One way to model this non-renewal behavior is to use Markovian Arrival Processes (MAPs) and Markovian Service Processes (MSPs). MAPs and MSPs allow for inter-arrival and service times to be dependent, while providing the analytical tractability of simple Markov processes. To this end, we prove fluid and diffusion limits for MAP_t/MSP_t/∞ queues by constructing a new Poisson process representation for the queueing dynamics and leveraging strong approximations for Poisson processes. As a result, the fluid and diffusion limit theorems illuminate how the dependence structure of the arrival or service processes can affect the sample path behavior of the queueing process. Finally, our Poisson representation for MAPs and MSPs is useful for simulation purposes and may be of independent interest.     

On a perturbed MAP risk model under a threshold dividend strategy

In this paper, we consider a perturbed risk model where the claims arrive according to a Markovian arrival process (MAP) under a threshold dividend strategy. We derive the integro-differential equations for the Gerber–Shiu expected discounted penalty function and the moments of total dividend payments until ruin, obtain the analytical solutions to these equations, and give numerical examples to illustrate our main results. We also get a matrix renewal equation for the Gerber–Shiu function, and present some asymptotic formulas for the Gerber–Shiu function when the claim size distributions are heavy-tailed.     

The exponentiated exponential distribution: a survey

The exponentiated exponential distribution, a most attractive generalization of the exponential distribution, introduced by Gupta and Kundu (Aust. N. Z. J. Stat. 41:173–188, 1999) has received widespread attention. It appears, however, that many mathematical properties of this distribution have not been known or have not been known in simpler/general forms. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of the mathematical properties. We derive expressions for the moment generating function, characteristic function, cumulant generating function, the nth moment, the first four moments, variance, skewness, kurtosis, the nth conditional moment, the first four cumulants, mean deviation about the mean, mean deviation about the median, Bonferroni curve, Lorenz curve, Bonferroni concentration index, Gini concentration index, Rényi entropy, Shannon entropy, cumulative residual entropy, Song’s measure, moments of order statistics, L moments, asymptotic distribution of the extreme order statistics, reliability, distribution of the sum of exponentiated exponential random variables, distribution of the product of exponentiated exponential random variables and the distribution of the ratio of exponentiated exponential random variables. We also discuss estimation by the method of maximum likelihood, including the case of censoring, and provide simpler expressions for the Fisher information matrix than those given by Gupta and Kundu. It is expected that this paper could serve as a source of reference for the exponentiated exponential distribution and encourage further research.     

The largest SNR distribution

The probability distribution of the maximum of normalized SNRs (signal-to-noise ratios) is studied for wireless systems with multiple branches. Explicit expressions and bounds are derived for the cumulative distribution function, probability density function, hazard rate function, moment generating function, nth moment, variance, skewness, kurtosis, mean deviation, Shannon entropy, order statistics and the asymptotic distribution of the extreme order statistics. Estimation procedures are derived by the methods of moments and maximum likelihood. An application is illustrated with respect to performance assessment of wireless systems.     

Testing the Stochastic Structure of Production: A Flexible Moment-Based Approach

Conventional production function specifications are shown to impose restrictions on the probability distribution of output that cannot be tested with the conventional models. These restrictions have important implications for firm behavior under uncertainty. A flexible representation of a firm's stochastic technology is developed based on the moments of the probability distribution of output. These moments are a unique representation of the technology and are functions of inputs. Large-sample estimators are developed for a linear moment model that is sufficiently flexible to test the restrictions implied by conventional production function specifications. The flexible moment-based approach is applied to milk production data. The first three moments of output are statistically significant functions of inputs. The cross-moment restrictions implied by conventional models are rejected.     

Filtering and the EM-Algorithm for the Markovian Arrival Process

In this article, we deal with the so-called Markovian Arrival Process (MAP). An MAP is thought of as a partially observed Markov process, so that the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is a natural way to estimate its parameters. Then, nonlinear filters of basic statistics related to the MAP must be computed. The forward–backward principle is the basic way to do it. Here, bearing in mind a filter-based formulation of the EM-algorithm proposed by Elliott, these filters are shown to be the solution of nonlinear stochastic differential equations (SDEs) which allows a recursive computation. This is well suited for processing large data sets. We also derive linear SDEs or Zakai equations for the so-called unnormalized filters.     

Moments of the sampled autocovariances and autocorrelations for a Gaussian white-noise process

Cumulants, moments about zero, and central moments are obtained for the mean-corrected serial covariances and serial correlations for series realizations of length n from a white-noise Gaussian process. All first and second moments (and some third, fourth, and higher moments) are given explicitly for the serial covariances; and the corresponding moments for the serial correlations are derived either explicitly or implicitly.     

On the Moments of a Semi-Markovian Random Walk with Gaussian Distribution of Summands

In this article, a semi-Markovian random walk with delay and a discrete interference of chance (X(t)) is considered. It is assumed that the random variables ζ _n , n = 1, 2,…, which describe the discrete interference of chance form an ergodic Markov chain with ergodic distribution which is a gamma distribution with parameters (α, λ). Under this assumption, the asymptotic expansions for the first four moments of the ergodic distribution of the process X(t) are derived, as λ → 0. Moreover, by using the Riemann zeta-function, the coefficients of these asymptotic expansions are expressed by means of numerical characteristics of the summands, when the process considered is a semi-Markovian Gaussian random walk with small drift β.     

SDP vs. LP Relaxations for the Moment Approach in Some Performance Evaluation Problems

Abstract

Given a Markov process, we are interested in the numerical computation of the moments of the exit time from a bounded domain. We use a moment approach which, together with appropriate semidefinite positivity moment conditions, yields a sequence of semidefinite programs (or SDP relaxations), depending on the number of moments considered, that provide a sequence of nonincreasing (resp. nondecreasing) upper (resp. lower) bounds. The results are compared to the linear Hausdorff moment conditions approach considered for the LP relaxations in Helmes et al. [Helmes, K., Röhl, S., Stockbridge, R.H. Computing moments of the exit time distribution for Markov processes by linear programming. Oper. Res. 2001, 49, 516–530]. The SDP relaxations are shown to be more general and more precise than the LP relaxations.     

Higher-Order Moments Using the Survival Function: The Alternative Expectation Formula

Undergraduate and graduate students in a first-year probability (or a mathematical statistics) course learn the important concept of the moment of a random variable. The moments are related to various aspects of a probability distribution. In this context, the formula for the mean or the first moment of a nonnegative continuous random variable is often shown in terms of its c.d.f. (or the survival function). This has been called the alternative expectation formula. However, higher-order moments are also important, for example, to study the variance or the skewness of a distribution. In this note, we consider the rth moment of a nonnegative random variable and derive formulas in terms of the c.d.f. (or the survival function) paralleling the existing results for the first moment (the mean) using Fubini's theorem. Both nonnegative continuous and discrete integer-valued random variables are considered. These formulas may be advantageous, for example, when dealing with the moments of a transformed random variable, where it may be easier to derive its c.d.f. using the so-called c.d.f. method.     

Statistical Analysis Of Mixture Vector Autoregressive Models

In this paper, we reconsider the mixture vector autoregressive model, which was proposed in the literature for modelling non‐linear time series. We complete and extend the stationarity conditions, derive a matrix formula in closed form for the autocovariance function of the process and prove a result on stable vector autoregressive moving‐average representations of mixture vector autoregressive models. For these results, we apply techniques related to a Markovian representation of vector autoregressive moving‐average processes. Furthermore, we analyse maximum likelihood estimation of model parameters by using the expectation–maximization algorithm and propose a new iterative algorithm for getting the maximum likelihood estimates. Finally, we study the model selection problem and testing procedures. Several examples, simulation experiments and an empirical application based on monthly financial returns illustrate the proposed procedures.     

Robust Bayesian analysis of the binomial empirical Bayes problem

Empirical Bayes estimation is considered for an i.i.d. sequence of binomial parameters θ_i arising from an unknown prior distribution G(.). This problem typically arises in industrial sampling, where samples from lots are routinely used to estimate the lot fraction defective of each lot. Two related issues are explored. The first concerns the fact that only the first few moments of G are typically estimable from the data. This suggests consideration of the interval of estimates (e.g., posterior means) corresponding to the different possible G with the specified moments. Such intervals can be obtained by application of well-known moment theory. The second development concerns the need to acknowledge the uncertainty in the estimation of the first few moments of G. Our proposal is to determine a credible set for the moments, and then find the range of estimates (e.g., posterior means) corresponding to the different possible G with moments in the credible set.