Computer-aided-manipulation of Mason's formula and its application

Presents a method to determine the symbolic gain of a linear system via S.J. Mason's formula (1953, 1956). A combined searching algorithm which is based on the breadth-first and depth-first searching algorithms in a directed graph is devised to find the forward paths and loops in the linear system. Mason's formula is then determined via touching-nontouching matches of forward paths and loops in the system. A SPICE-like system description language is also proposed to describe the linear system, so that this algorithm can be coded easily in C language. In comparison with other approaches, this method is more systematic and needs no complicated matrix operations.<
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