A personal view of queueing theory

This is a personal and highly subjective account of the development of queueing theory, reflecting the author’s interest (or lack of it) in selected areas, and does not intend to be a complete representation of the field. Two stages of development are distinguished. The first one, called Rise and Fall, concerns ideas and methods of early queueing theory. The second, called Revival and Separation, describes the recent situation of splitting queueing theory into two, namely the abstract and the practical.