Strategic Queuing

Content

1. Basic concepts of queueing theory.

2. Strategic models of queues: Observable queues.

3. Strategic models of queues: Unobservable queues.

4. Universal optimality of queueing regimes.

5. Priority classes.

6. Double queues. 

References

• Hassin, R and Haviv, M (2003) To Queue or not to Queue: Equilibrium Behavior in Queueing Systems. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, MA.

• Naor, P (1969). The regulation of queue size by levying tolls. Econometrica, 37(1):15–24.

• Knudsen, NC (1972). Individual and social optimization in a multiserver queue with a general cost-benefit structure. Econometrica, 40:515–528.

• Edelson, NM, Hildebrand, DK (1975) Congestion tolls for Poisson queuing processes. Econometrica 43:81–92.

• Hassin, R (1985) On the optimality of first come last served queues. Econometrica 53(1):201–202.

• Scarsini, M and Shmaya, E (2026). A characterization of optimal queueing regimes. arXiv 2401.13812.

• Afèche, P and Sarhangian, V (2026) Rational abandonment from observable priority queues: equilibrium strategy, performance, and pricing implications. SSRN.

• Afèche, P, Akan, M, Benjaafar, S, Dabirian, H, and Denton, BT (2025). Naor revisited: Two-sided queues with strategic agents. SSRN.