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

From Time • Jul. 29, 2014

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

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

Unlike the people who run hospitals or airports, election officials have not yet fully embraced concepts like queuing theory and modeling.

From Time Magazine Archive