Queues and stochastic networks are analyzed in this book with purely
probabilistic methods. The purpose of these lectures is to show that
general results from Markov processes, martingales or ergodic theory can
be used directly to study the corresponding stochastic processes. Recent
developments have shown that, instead of having ad-hoc methods, a better
understanding of fundamental results on stochastic processes is crucial
to study the complex behavior of stochastic networks.
In this book, various aspects of these stochastic models are
investigated in depth in an elementary way: Existence of equilibrium,
characterization of stationary regimes, transient behaviors (rare
events, hitting times) and critical regimes, etc. A simple presentation
of stationary point processes and Palm measures is given. Scaling
methods and functional limit theorems are a major theme of this book. In
particular, a complete chapter is devoted to fluid limits of Markov
processes.