A queueing model and a set of orthogonal polynomials (Q1067319)

A single-server birth-death queueing model is studied where the arrival rate is \(\lambda_ n=\lambda q^ n\) and the service rate \(\mu_ n=\mu (1-q^ n)\), \(0<q<1\), when there are n customers present. \textit{S. Karlin} and \textit{L. McGregor}'s [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 85, 489-546 and 86, 366- 400 (1957; Zbl 0091.138)] spectral representation for the transition probabilities of a birth-death process is used to obtain the distribution of the number of customers in the system at any time and for any number of customers initially present. This comprises explicit evaluation of the orthogonal polynomials and the spectral function appearing in the representation formula. Of particular interest is the technique which is employed: the spectral function is recovered from the asymptotic behaviour of the pertinent orthogonal polynomials and the associated polynomials of the second kind. A slightly more general birth-death queue where \(\lambda_ n=\lambda q^ n/(1+bq^ n)\) and \(\mu_ n=\mu (1-q^ n)/(1+bq^ n)\) is also briefly studied.