8Reliability
Reliability theory is concerned with the probability that a system will function. When such a system consists of separate components, which may or may not function independently then the reliability of the system depends in various ways on the reliability of these components. Systems with connected components have been proposed for reliability evaluation in the design of integrated circuits, microwave technology, telecommunications, pipeline systems, computer ring networks, and spacecraft relay systems. Such systems are characterized by logical or physical connections among components. A computer, for example, is comprised of hundreds of systems, each of which may have hundreds or thousands of components. The components are, of course, subject to possible failure, and these failures may cause individual systems to fail, and ultimately cause the entire system to fail. Whether or not a system is functioning is determined solely by the knowledge of which of its components are functioning. There are various types of configurations of the components in different systems. In this chapter, we look at some of these configurations and their reliabilities.
8.1 Series Systems
The structure/topology ...
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