Determination of Tie Sets and Cut Sets for a System Without Feedback

A method for constructing a devices-on-arcs network representation of a `reliability block diagram without feedback' is shown. From the netyork, a matrix is constructed which is the vehicle for determining the tie sets (paths through the network). A 3-step procedure for determining the tie sets in a network is presented. The steps are a) construct the devices-on-arcs network representation of the reliability block diagram of the system, b) construct the matrix representation of the devices-on-arcs network and c) from the matrix, determine the tie sets. The restricted cut sets can be determined either from the matrix or from the tie sets. The usefulness of this technique for resource allocation is shown.