An efficient algorithm for computing global reliability of a network

Global reliability of a network is defined and then evaluated using spanning trees of the network graph. An algorithm for generating spanning trees (termed, appended spanning trees) that are mutually disjoint is proposed. Each appended spanning tree represents a probability term in the final global reliability expression. The algorithm gives the global reliability of a network directly. It is illustrated with an example. The algorithm is fast, requires very little memory, is adaptable to multiprocessors, and can be terminated at an appropriate stage for an approximate value of global reliability