The ballot theorem strikes again: packet loss process distribution

The probability distribution of the number of lost packets within a block of consecutive packet arrivals into a finite buffer is an important quantity in various networking problems. In a previous paper, Cidon, Khamisy and Sidi (1993) introduced a recursive scheme to derive this distribution. In this paper, we derive explicit expressions for this distribution using various versions of the powerful ballot theorem. The expressions are derived for a single source M/M/1/K queue.