Bounds for the reliability functions of coherent systems with heterogeneous components

The computation of the reliability function of a (complex) coherent system is a difficult task. Hence, sometimes, we should simply work with some bounds (approximations). The computation of these bounds has been widely studied in the case of coherent systems with independent and identically distributed (IID) components. However, few results have been obtained in the case of heterogeneous (non ID) components. In this paper, we derive explicit bounds for systems with heterogeneous (independent or dependent) components. Also some stochastic comparisons are obtained. Some illustrative examples are included where we compare the different bounds proposed in the paper.     

Comparisons in the mean residual life order of coherent systems with identically distributed components

The comparisons of the performance of coherent systems (under different stochastic criteria) is an important task in the reliability theory. Several results have been obtained in the literature for the stochastic, hazard rate and likelihood ratio orders. In this paper, we obtain comparison results for the mean residual life order of coherent systems with identically distributed (ID) component lifetimes. These results can be applied not only to the usual case of systems with independent and identically distributed components but also to the case of systems with exchangeable components and to the more general case of just ID components. The results obtained are based on the representation of the system distribution as a distorted distribution of the common components' distribution. Some specific comparison results are given to illustrate the theoretical results. The comparison results for distorted distributions given here can also be applied to other statistical concepts such as order statistics, generalized order statistics or record values. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparisons of series and parallel systems with components sharing the same copula

The paper is devoted to study stochastic comparisons of series and parallel systems with vectors of component lifetimes sharing the same copula. We show that, under some conditions on the common copula, the series system with heterogeneous components is worse than the series system with homogeneous components having a common reliability function, which is equal to the average of the reliability functions of the heterogeneous components. However, we show that this property is not necessarily true for arbitrary copulas. We obtain similar properties for parallel systems and for general coherent systems. For these purposes, we introduce in our analysis the notion of the mean function of a copula. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An enumeration algorithm for combinatorial problems of the reliability analysis of binary coherent systems

In this paper the problem of the generation of all elements of a system of sets is investigated and a backtrack algorithm (Al) is given solving this problem.The algorithm is applied to combinatorial problems of reliability:

A t-graph is interpreted as a binary coherent system S and the system function of S is represented as the sum of Boolean orthogonal products. This approach is a simple and efficient alternative to a method suggested by Satyanarayana and N. Hagstbom [9].

A directed p-graph is also interpreted as a binary coherent system S and both the minimal cuts of S and the cocycles of G are determined.     

Inactivity times of coherent systems with dependent components under periodical inspections

If we know that a coherent system has failed before a time t, the inactivity time is the period (from t) in which the system has been broken. If T is the system lifetime, the inactivity time at t is (t?T|T<t). Under periodical inspections, we may typically know that the system was working at a time t₁, but that is broken at another time t₂>t₁. Under this assumption, we obtain representations for the reliability function of the system inactivity time (t₂?T|t₁<T<t₂). We consider both the cases of independent and dependent components. Similar representations are obtained under other assumptions with partial information about component failures at times t₁ and t₂. These representations are used to compare stochastically the inactivity times under different assumptions. Some illustrative examples are provided.     

On some new difference systems of sets constructed from the cyclotomic classes of order 12

Difference system of sets (DSS), introduced by Levenshtein, has an interesting connection with the construction of comma-free codes. In this paper, we construct two new families of DSS from the cyclotomic classes of order 12.     

Some stochastic comparisons of conditional coherent systems

This paper investigates coherent systems with independent and identical components. Stochastic comparison on the residual life and the inactivity time of two systems with stochastically ordered signatures is conducted. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Clusure of the NBUE and DMRL classes under formation of parallel systems

The class of new better than used in expectation life distributions is shown to be closed under the formation of parallel systems with independent and identically distributed components. The class of differentiable life distributions with decreasing mean residual life is also proved to have the same closure property.     

Generalized mixtures in reliability modelling: Applications to the construction of bathtub shaped hazard models and the study of systems

In this paper, we obtain and discuss some general properties of hazard rate (HR) functions constructed via generalized mixtures of two members. These results are applied to determine the shape of generalized mixtures of an increasing hazard rate (IHR) model and an exponential model. In addition, we note that these kind of generalized mixtures can be used to construct bathtub‐shaped HR models. As examples, we study in detail two cases: when the IHR model chosen is a linear HR function and when the IHR model is the extended exponential‐geometric distribution. Finally, we apply the results and show the utility of generalized mixtures in determining the shape of the HR function of different systems, such as mixed systems or consecutive k‐out‐of‐n systems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preservation of reliability classes associated with the mean residual life by a renewal process stopped at a random time

In this paper, we show that some ageing classes of a random time T related to the mean residual life are preserved by the discrete random count variable N(T), where {N(t) : t ?0}is a renewal process independent from T under suitable conditions. In the particular case of the Poisson process, we extend the results to more reliability classes. We also consider real examples of N(T) and apply the results to queuing systems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some results on information properties of coherent systems

This paper considers information properties of coherent systems when component lifetimes are independent and identically distributed. Some results on the entropy of coherent systems in terms of ordering properties of component distributions are proposed. Moreover, various sufficient conditions are given under which the entropy order among systems as well as the corresponding dual systems hold. Specifically, it is proved that under some conditions, the entropy order among component lifetimes is preserved under coherent system formations. The findings are based on system signatures as a useful measure from comparison purposes. Furthermore, some results on the system's entropy are derived when lifetimes of components are dependent and identically distributed. Several illustrative examples are also given.     

On the number of equivalence classes of attracting dynamical systems

We study discrete dynamical systems of the kind h(x) = x + g(x), where g(x) is amonic irreducible polynomial with coefficients in the ring of integers of a p-adic field K. The dynamical systems of this kind, having attracting fixed points, can in a natural way be divided into equivalence classes, and we investigate whether something can be said about the number of those equivalence classes, for a certain degree of the polynomial g(x). The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Learning formation control for fractional‐order multiagent systems

In this paper, we use 2 iterative learning control schemes (P‐type and PI‐type) with an initial learning rule to achieve the formation control of linear fractional‐order multiagent systems. To realize the finite‐time consensus, we assume repeatable operation environments as well as a fixed but directed communication topology for the fractional‐order multiagent systems. Both P‐type and PI‐type update laws are applied to generate the control commands for each agent. It is strictly proved that all agents are driven to achieve an asymptotical consensus as the iteration number increases. Two examples are simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.     

Statistical inference for coherent systems with Weibull distributed component lifetimes under complete and incomplete information

Point estimators for the parameters of the component lifetime distribution in coherent systems are evolved assuming to be independently and identically Weibull distributed component lifetimes. We study both complete and incomplete information under continuous monitoring of the essential component lifetimes. First, we prove that the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) under complete information based on progressively Type‐II censored system lifetimes uniquely exists and we present two approaches to compute the estimates. Furthermore, we consider an ad hoc estimator, a max‐probability plan estimator and the MLE for the parameters under incomplete information. In order to compute the MLEs, we consider a direct maximization of the likelihood and an EM‐algorithm–type approach, respectively. In all cases, we illustrate the results by simulations of the five‐component bridge system and the 10‐component parallel system, respectively.     

On the distribution of the summands of partitions in residue classes

Summary It is proved that the summands of almost all partitions of nare well-distributed modulo dfor dup to d= n^1/2-ε.     

Stability radii of higher order linear difference systems under multi-perturbations

We study stability radii of higher order linear difference systems under multi-perturbations. A formula for complex stability radius of higher order linear difference systems under multi-perturbations is given. Then, for the class of positive systems, we prove that the complex stability radius and real stability radius of the system under multi-perturbations coincide and they are computed via a simple formula. These are extensions of corresponding results of Hinrichsen and Son, Hinrichsen et al., Ngoc and Son, and Pappas and Hinrichsen. An example is given to illustrate the obtained results.     

On the joint signature of several coherent systems with some shared components

The concept of joint signature (JS), introduced by Navarro, Samaniego, and Balakrishnan (2010), is a useful tool for investigating the joint reliability of two coherent systems with shared components. In this article, by considering several coherent systems which share some components, with independent and identically distributed lifetimes, we obtain a pseudo-mixture representation for the joint distribution of the systems lifetimes based on a general notion of joint signature which is referred to as generalized joint signature (GJS). It is shown how the GJS is separated from the effect of the components’ lifetime distribution and this relationship helps us to represent the GJS as a two-dimensional matrix instead of a high-dimensional one. Based on the GJS, some ordering results are obtained for comparing two clusters of coherent systems with some shared components. Several examples are provided to illustrate the results established here.     

Divisibility of the stable Miller-Morita-Mumford classes

We determine the sublattice generated by the Miller-Morita- Mumford classes in the torsion free quotient of the integral cohomology ring of the stable mapping class group. We further decide when the mod reductions vanish.