Reliability of circular consecutively-connected systems with multistate components

A circular consecutively-connected system with multistate components (CCCSMC) consists of a set of a components e/sub i/, i/spl isin/[1,n] arranged in a circle. The e/sub i/ is followed by e/sub i+1/, i/spl isin/[1,n-1]; e/sub n/ is followed by e/sub 1/. The e/sub i/ can be in 1 of the states 0,...,k/sub i/. If e/sub i/ is in state k/spl isin/[0,k/sub i/], then its range is k (the k components following e/sub i/ are within its range). The system is functioning if and only if, for every component e/sub j/, j/spl isin/[1,n] there is an e/sub i/ such that e/sub j/ is within the range of e/sub i/. The paper gives a recursive algorithm for determining the CCCSMC reliability.<
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