Algorithmic approximations for the busy period distribution of the M/M/c retrial queue

In this paper we deal with the main multiserver retrial queue of M/M/c type with exponential repeated attempts. This model is known to be analytically intractable due to the spatial heterogeneity of the underlying Markov chain, caused by the retrial feature. For this reason several models have been proposed for approximating its stationary distribution, that lead to satisfactory numerical implementations. This paper extends these studies by developing efficient algorithmic procedures for calculating the busy period distribution of the main approximation models of Wilkinson [Wilkinson, R.I., 1956. Theories for toll traffic engineering in the USA, The Bell System Technical Journal 35, 421–514], Falin [Falin, G.I., 1983. Calculations of probability characteristics of a multiline system with repeated calls, Moscow University Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics 1, 43–49] and Neuts and Rao [Neuts, M.F., Rao, B.M., 1990. Numerical investigation of a multiserver retrial model, Queueing Systems 7, 169–190]. Moreover, we develop stable recursive schemes for the computation of the busy period moments. The corresponding distributions for the total number of customers served during a busy period are also studied. Several numerical results illustrate the efficiency of the methods and reveal interesting facts concerning the behavior of the M/M/c retrial queue.