Goods Allocation by Queuing and the Occurrence of Violence: A Probabilistic Analysis

Posted: 8 Feb 2012

See all articles by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

Rochester Institute of Technology

Gregory J. DeAngelo

Claremont Colleges - Claremont Graduate University

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 8, 2012

Abstract

Goods for which demand greatly exceeds supply are frequently allocated to citizens using queuing mechanisms. However, violence can occur either when queues are very long or when large numbers of citizens are not provided goods being allocated with queuing mechanisms. Hence, we use the theory of discrete-time Markov chains (DTMCs) to construct and analyze models in which we explicitly account for queue length and the number of citizens who are not provided a good that is allocated with a queuing mechanism. Specifically, we first delineate a version of our DTMC model in which there is no capacity constraint. Second, we state two key properties of this model and then we derive our first metric of the likelihood of violence. Finally, we describe an alternate version of our DTMC model with a capacity constraint and then we derive our second metric of the likelihood of violence.

Keywords: Capacity Constraint, Goods Allocation, Queuing Mechanism, Scarcity, Violence

JEL Classification: O12, H40, D81

Suggested Citation

Batabyal, Amitrajeet A. and DeAngelo, Gregory Joseph, Goods Allocation by Queuing and the Occurrence of Violence: A Probabilistic Analysis (February 8, 2012). International Review of Economics & Finance, Vol. 24, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2001509

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal (Contact Author)

Rochester Institute of Technology ( email )

Department of Economics, RIT
92 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY NEW YORK 14623-5604
United States
5853134063 (Phone)
5854755777 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://people.rit.edu/aabgsh

Gregory Joseph DeAngelo

Claremont Colleges - Claremont Graduate University ( email )

150 E. Tenth Street
Claremont, CA 91711
United States

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