On the approximation of the output process of multi-user random access communication networks

Bernoulli and first-order Markov processes are used to approximate the output process of a class of slotted multiuser random-access communication networks. The parameters of the approximating processes are analytically calculated for a network operating under a specific random-access algorithm. The mean time that a packet spends in the central node of the star topology is calculated under the proposed approximations of the output processes of the interconnected networks. The results are compared with simulation results of the actual system. It turns out that the memoryless approximation gives satisfactory results up to a certain per-network-traffic load. Beyond that point, the first-order Markov processes performs better.<>