A Bracket is a Queue

We’re accustomed to viewing queues as serial lines, or people waiting to be served.  But, not much thought is given to the shapes of queues.

Well, the NCAA Bracket is a type of Queue – it’s just another type of waiting line. PS: You can also view all 40+ articles on Queueing Theory.

In general, a queue is a line of people or things waiting to be handled, sometimes in sequential order starting at the beginning or top of the line or sequence. More generally, a queue is a sequence of work objects that are waiting to be processed. The possible factors, arrangements, and processes related to queues is what we know as queueing theory.

A Bracket is different type of queue – one that actually hasn’t been considered as part of queueing theory.  Instead, games that can be described in a bracket shape are typically studied under decision trees or in general decision science classes; sometime probability, such as markov walks; or in optimization schemes.

But, a bracket is a queue.  It’s an interesting shape for a queue.

And, I’ve already lost my NCAA picks for 2010.  I picked Kentucky would win the whole thing against Kansas.  Oh well, I’ll have to wait until next year.