Shunji Osaki - Böcker

This book contains 12 contributions on stochastic models in reliability and maintenance. Written by the leading researchers on each topic, each contribution surveys the current status on stochastic models emphasizing mathematical formulation and optimization applications. Each contribution is self-contained and has a thorough bibliography. The topics include renewal processes, semi-Markov processes, Markovian deterioration models, maintenance and replacement models, software reliability models and Monte-Carlo simulation. This book provides researchers, reliability engineers and graduate students with the current status of the field and future developments of the subject.

This volume contains selected papers presented at a UK-Japanese Workshop held at Churchill College, Cambridge, July 1995. The first group of papers looks at modelling, and solution techniques that have proved useful in the operational and strategic levels of manufacturing-greedy algorithms, Markov Decision processes and Petri Nets. Further papers concentrate on operational aspects of manufacturing in an uncertain environment. The last group describes interesting problems. The volume shows that the need for stochastic modelling is an important factor in support of decision making, and that this is a growing, exciting and rewarding area of research.

This book contains 12 contributions on stochastic models in reliability and maintenance. Written by the leading researchers on each topic, each contribution surveys the current status on stochastic models emphasizing mathematical formulation and optimization applications. Each contribution is self-contained and has a thorough bibliography. The topics include renewal processes, semi-Markov processes, Markovian deterioration models, maintenance and replacement models, software reliability models and Monte-Carlo simulation. This book provides researchers, reliability engineers and graduate students with the current status of the field and future developments of the subject.

This book was written for an introductory one-semester or two-quarter course in stochastic processes and their applications. The reader is assumed to have a basic knowledge of analysis and linear algebra at an undergraduate level. Stochastic models are applied in many fields such as engineering systems, physics, biology, operations research, business, economics, psychology, and linguistics. Stochastic modeling is one of the promising kinds of modeling in applied probability theory. This book is intended to introduce basic stochastic processes: Poisson pro­ cesses, renewal processes, discrete-time Markov chains, continuous-time Markov chains, and Markov-renewal processes. These basic processes are introduced from the viewpoint of elementary mathematics without going into rigorous treatments. This book also introduces applied stochastic system modeling such as reliability and queueing modeling. Chapters 1 and 2 deal with probability theory, which is basic and prerequisite to the following chapters. Many important concepts of probabilities, random variables, and probability distributions are introduced. Chapter 3 develops the Poisson process, which is one of the basic and im­ portant stochastic processes. Chapter 4 presents the renewal process. Renewal­ theoretic arguments are then used to analyze applied stochastic models. Chapter 5 develops discrete-time Markov chains. Following Chapter 5, Chapter 6 deals with continuous-time Markov chains. Continuous-time Markov chains have im­ portant applications to queueing models as seen in Chapter 9. A one-semester course or two-quarter course consists of a brief review of Chapters 1 and 2, fol­ lowed in order by Chapters 3 through 6.

The proceedings contain a range of papers dealing with different issues relating to the theme of the workshop. The majority of them deal with model formulation and model analysis. A few deal with mathematical techniques that are needed to carry out model analysis. Some of the papers are theoretical whilst others are applied. As a result, the topics covered in these papers highlight the multifaceted nature of stochastic modelling and diversity of the applications of stochastic models.

Operations research uses quantitative models to analyze and predict the behavior of systems and to provide information for decision makers. Two key concepts in operations research are optimization and uncertainty. This volume consists of a collection of peer reviewed papers from the International Workshop on Recent Advances in Stochastic Operations Research (RASOR 2005), August 25-26, 2005, Canmore, Alberta, Canada. In particular, the book focusses on models in stochastic operations research, including queueing models, inventory models, financial engineering models, reliability models, and simulations models.

Operations research uses quantitative models to analyze and predict the behavior of systems and to provide information for decision makers. Two key concepts in such research are optimization and uncertainty. Typical models in stochastic operations research include queueing models, inventory models, financial engineering models, reliability models, and simulation models. This book contains a collection of peer-reviewed papers from the International Workshop on Recent Advances in Stochastic Operations Research (2007 RASOR Nanzan) held on March 5-6, 2007, at Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan. It enables advanced readers to understand the recent topics and results in stochastic operations research.