A Stochastic Method of Allocation of Components to Maximize Reliability

The purpose of this paper is to present a method of implicit enumeration that can be used in reliability problems to maximize system reliability subject to cost constraints. The method is based on a stochastic approach in which probability distributions are attached to families of allocations. Probability distributions permit the experienced scheduler to apply his experience as well as factors which are not taken directly into account by the mathematical form of the problem. This feature together with getting near-optimal solutions are its principal features. When compared to other methods, speed is gained because the cost projection part of the method deals with functions of random variables rather than methods such as linear programming. The method is presented for systems in which all components are in series.