A. K. Erlang

person (1878-1929) A Danish mathematician. Erlang the

language and unit were named after him.

Interested in the theory of probability, in 1908 Erlang joined

the Copenhagen Telephone Company where he studied the problem

of waiting times for telephone calls.

He worked out how to calculate the fraction of callers

who must wait due to all the lines of an exchange being in

use. His formula for loss and waiting time was published in

1917. It is now known as the "Erlang formula" and is still

in use today.

Biography,

Biography.

[What was his name?]

(2000-10-28)