The cost of eliminating vanishing markings from generalized stochastic Petri nets

A generalized stochastic Petri net can be analyzed by studying the reachability graph of feasible markings. An examination is made of the problem of eliminating vanishing states during the solution of a generalized stochastic Petri net. The asymptotic complexity of a matrix-based algorithm is shown to grow quadratically with the number of tangible states. A simpler graph-based algorithm that executes much more rapidly on typical models is examined. Some alternatives to elimination are discussed