Use of high-speed digital computers to study performance of complex switching networks incorporating time delays

The two-valued characteristic of a switching network (i.e., the “make‰ or “break” of a contact, the presence or absence of a voltage at a node, or the activation or deactivation of an electric or mechanical control element) makes it possible to apply the principles of Boolean algebra, an algebra of logic, to the design and analysis of the network. The first important contribution to switching algebra was made by Shannon in 1938.1 The fundamental concepts, postulates, and theorems of switching algebra are well treated in many books; consequently they will not be presented in this report. Most of the terminology used in this presentation can be found in reference 2. The concept of transmission was chosen for this report on the application of a high-speed digital computer to the analysis of switching networks, although the concept of hindrance could be used equally well.