PREFACE
This book brings into one volume two network models that can be broadly classified as queueing network models and graphical network models. Queueing networks are systems where customers move among service stations where they receive service. Usually, the service times and the order in which customers visit the service stations are random. The order in which service is received at the service stations is governed by a probabilistic routing schedule. Queueing networks are popularly used in traffic modeling in computer and telecommunications networks, transportation systems, and manufacturing networks. Graphical models are systems that use graphs to model different types of problems. They include Bayesian networks, which are also called directed graphical models, Boolean networks, and random networks. Graphical models are used in statistics, data mining, and social networks.
The need for a book of this nature arises from the fact that we live in an era of interdisciplinary studies and research activities when both networks are becoming important in areas that they were not originally used. Thus, any person involved in such interdisciplinary studies or research activities needs to have a good understanding of both types of networks. This book is intended to meet this need.
The book is organized into three parts. The first part, Chapters 1 and 2, deals with the basic concepts of probability (Chapter 1) and stochastic processes (Chapter 2). The second part, Chapters ...
