queuing theory

American  

noun

1. a theory that deals with providing a service on a waiting line, or queue, especially when the demand for it is irregular and describable by probability distributions, as processing phone calls arriving at a telephone exchange or collecting highway tolls from drivers at tollbooths.

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queuing theory British  

noun

1. a mathematical approach to the rate at which components queue to be processed by a machine, instructions are accessed by a computer, orders need to be serviced, etc, to achieve the optimum flow

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Etymology

Origin of queuing theory

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The science is known as queuing theory, and it was invented in 1909 by Danish physicist and mathematician A.K.

From Time • Jul. 29, 2014

“The math gets really hairy, really fast,” says Dick Larson — “Dr. Q” — who teaches queuing theory at MIT.

From Time • Jul. 29, 2014

According to Larson, since the mid-20th century, queuing theory has been more about feelings than formulas.

From Slate • Jun. 1, 2012

Larson says he was once at a queuing theory conference where the hotel checkout line became quite long and was populated mainly by queuing theorists.

From Slate • Jun. 1, 2012

There is a science to this, called queuing theory, and it's well known to large companies.

From Time Magazine Archive