Erlang Redux: An Ansatz Method for Solving the M/M/m Queue

Abstract

This exposition presents a novel approach to solving an M/M/m queue for the waiting time and the residence time. The motivation comes from an algebraic solution for the residence time of the M/M/1 queue. The key idea is the introduction of an ansatz transformation, defined in terms of the Erlang B function, that avoids the more opaque derivation based on applied probability theory. The only prerequisite is an elementary knowledge of the Poisson distribution, which is already necessary for understanding the M/M/1 queue. The approach described here supersedes our earlier approximate morphing transformation.