Switched networks with maximum weight policies: fluid approximation and multiplicative state space collapse (Q2428046)

The present paper considers a queueing network in which there are constraints on which queues may be served simultaneously; such networks may be used to model input-queued switches and wireless networks. The scheduling policy for such a network specifies which queues to serve at any point in time. The authors consider a family of scheduling policies, related to the maximum-weight policy of \textit{L. Tassiulas} and \textit{A. Ephremides} [IEEE Trans. Autom. Control 37, No. 12, 1936--1948 (1992; Zbl 0771.60070)], for single-hop and multihop networks. They specify a fluid model and show that fluid-scaled performance processes can be approximated by fluid model solutions. They investigate the behavior of fluid model solutions under critical load, and characterize invariant states as those states which solve a certain network-wide optimization problem. They use fluid model results to prove multiplicative state space collapse. A notable feature of their results is that they do not assume complete resource pooling.