Reduced load approximations for multirate loss networks

A class of loss networks in which each connection specifies a route and a bandwidth requirement is considered. If sufficient bandwidth is not available in one of the links along the route, the connection is blocked and lost. Three schemes are considered for approximating blocking probabilities in the network. For a specific star topology, two of these schemes give blocking probabilities that are very close to the exact values under light, moderate, and heavy traffic. The approximations are shown to be asymptotically correct in a natural limiting regime. The implied costs and their relation to revenue sensitivity are also determined for the approximation schemes. The approximate revenue sensitivities are again very close to the exact values for the specific star topology