Efficient enumeration of most probable states for systems with dependent failures and multimode components

ORDER-c, an algorithm for enumerating, in order of nonincreasing probability, the states of systems with dependent failures and multimode components is presented. The dependencies and degradations are modeled by the cause-based multimode model, which is reviewed. The ORDER-b algorithm is also reviewed, and the ORDER-b and ORDER-c algorithms are compared. The ORDER-algorithm is shown to be more flexible than the ORDER-b algorithm because it can be based on any state enumeration algorithm for independent failures and multimode components. Experimental results show that the ORDER-c algorithm requires less memory and runs faster