Bounds for the availabilities in a fixed time interval for multistate monotone systems

Abstract

In this paper upper and lower bounds for the availability and unavailability, to any level, in a fixed time interval are arrived at for multistate monotone systems based on corresponding information on the multistate components. These are assumed to be maintained and interdependent. Such bounds are of great interest when trying to predict the performance process of the system, noting that exact expressions are obtainable just for trivial systems. The bounds given generalize the existing bounds known in traditional binary theory, and represent improvements of the ones now being developed in multistate theory.