MINIMIZING THE EXPECTED RESPONSE-TIME OF AN IDLED SERVER ON A LINE

We address the problem of where to locate an idle server in a one-dime nsional system where the arrival of demands for service have both spat ial and temporal uncertainty. In such a system it is reasonable to hav e an idle server make an anticipatory move in order to better position itself for the next demand. However, moving all the way to its home b ase, or even moving at all, might delay the service for a demand which arrives during the move. We develop an analytical model to optimize t he destination of an anticipatory move based upon the location of the server. Insights into the impact of system parameters as well as empir ical examples are given.