Exceptional Paper—Markov Renewal Theory: A Survey

Abstract

The objective is to survey the major results and applications in an informal setting. The exposition is restricted to finite state spaces; some real problems are modelled and the lines of attack are indicated; and an extensive bibliography is provided to get a further glimpse of the variety of applications. Throughout, the parallels with renewal theory are brought out, and the unity of thought afforded by the formalism of Markov renewal equations is stressed.