Applications of polling systems

Abstract: Since the first paper on polling systems, written by Mack in 1957, a huge number of papers on this topic has been written. A typical polling system consists of a number of queues, attended by a single server. In several surveys, the most notable ones written by Takagi, detailed and comprehensive descriptions of the mathematical analysis of polling systems are provided. The goal of the present survey paper is to complement these papers by putting the emphasis on \emph{applications} of polling models. We discuss not only the capabilities, but also the limitations of polling models in representing various applications. The present survey is directed at both academicians and practitioners.