Queues with resetting: a perspective

Abstract

Performance modeling is a key issue in queuing theory and operation research. It is well-known that the length of a queue that awaits service or the time spent by a job in a queue depends not only on the service rate, but also crucially on the fluctuations in service time. The larger the fluctuations, the longer the delay becomes and hence, this is a major hindrance for the queue to operate efficiently. Various strategies have been adapted to prevent this drawback. In this perspective, we investigate the effects of one such novel strategy namely resetting or restart, an emerging concept in statistical physics and stochastic complex process, that was recently introduced to mitigate fluctuations-induced delays in queues. In particular, we show that a service resetting mechanism accompanied with an overhead time can remarkably shorten the average queue lengths and waiting times. We examine various resetting strategies and further shed light on the intricate role of the overhead times to the queuing performance. Our analysis opens up future avenues in operation research where resetting-based strategies can be universally promising.