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There’s a mathematical formula for choosing the fastest queue

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. University of Sussex provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. View all partners https://doi.org/10.64628/AB.x7cg939jy Share article Print article It seems obvious. You arrive at the checkouts and see one queue is much longer than the other, so you join the shorter one. But, before long, the people in the bigger line zoom past you and you’ve barely moved towards the exit. When it comes to queuing, the intuitive choice is often not the fastest one. Why do queues feel like they slow down as soon as you join them? And is there a way to decide beforehand which line is really the best one to join? Mathematicians have been studying these questions for years. So can they help us spend less time waiting in line? The intuitive strategy seems to be to join the shortes

Shutterstock https://theconversation.com/theres-a-mathematical-formula-for-choosing-the-fastest-queue-76647 https://theconversation.com/theres-a-mathematical-formula-for-choosing-the-fastest-queue-76647 Link copied Share article Share article Copy link Email Bluesky Facebook WhatsApp Messenger LinkedIn X (Twitter) Print article It seems obvious. You arrive at the checkouts and see one queue is much longer than the other, so you join the shorter one. But, before long, the people in the bigger line zoom past you and you’ve barely moved towards the exit. When it comes to queuing, the intuitive ch

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