Modeling and Applications on Timed Stochastic-Flow Networks

Author(s):  
Shin-Guang Chen

A stochastic-flow network (SFN) is a network whose flow has stochastic behavior or probabilistic multi-states. A timed stochastic-flow network (TSFN) is a SFN whose flow spends time to go through the network. Traditionally, the evaluation of network reliability does not consider time consumption for the flow to get through the network. However, there are lots of daily-life networks which can be regarded as TSFNs, such as the transportation network, the production network, etc. Their flow spends time to get through the network, and they are not yet explored in the literature. This paper proposes approaches to evaluate the reliability of such networks. Some numerical examples are discussed to illustrate the proposed method.

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Mehdi Mansourzadeh ◽  
Seyed Hadi Nasseri ◽  
Majid Forghani-elahabad ◽  
Ali Ebrahimnejad

An information system network (ISN) can be modeled as a stochastic-flow network (SFN). There are several algorithms to evaluate reliability of an SFN in terms of Minimal Cuts (MCs). The existing algorithms commonly first find all the upper boundary points (called d-MCs) in an SFN, and then determine the reliability of the network using some approaches such as inclusion-exclusion method, sum of disjoint products, etc. However, most of the algorithms have been compared via complexity results or through one or two benchmark networks. Thus, comparing those algorithms through random test problems can be desired. Here, the authors first state a simple improved algorithm. Then, by generating a number of random test problems and implementing the algorithms in MATLAB, the proposed algorithm is demonstrated to be more efficient than some existing ones in medium-sized networks. The performance profile introduced by Dolan and More is used for analyzing the output of programs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya Gertsbakh ◽  
Reuven Rubinstein ◽  
Yoseph Shpungin ◽  
Radislav Vaisman

In this paper we show how the permutation Monte Carlo method, originally developed for reliability networks, can be successfully adapted for stochastic flow networks, and in particular for estimation of the probability that the maximal flow in such a network is above some fixed level, called the threshold. A stochastic flow network is defined as one, where the edges are subject to random failures. A failed edge is assumed to be erased (broken) and, thus, not able to deliver any flow. We consider two models; one where the edges fail with the same failure probability and another where they fail with different failure probabilities. For each model we construct a different algorithm for estimation of the desired probability; in the former case it is based on the well known notion of the D-spectrum and in the later one—on the permutational Monte Carlo. We discuss the convergence properties of our estimators and present supportive numerical results.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 954-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hector Cancela ◽  
Leslie Murray ◽  
Gerardo Rubino

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 947
Author(s):  
Shanshan Wu ◽  
Lucang Wang ◽  
Haiyang Liu

The development of tourism is based on tourism flow and studying a tourism flow network can help to elucidate its mechanism of operation. Transportation network is the path to realize the spatial displacement of tourism flow. This study used “Tencent migration” big data to explore the spatial distribution characteristics and rules of tourism flow in China, providing suggestions for the development of tourism. The results demonstrate that the 361 cities studied can be divided into three types: destination-oriented, tourist-origin-oriented, and destination-oriented and tourist-origin-oriented. There are significant differences in the quantity of flow, the area of concentration, and the factors affecting the flow in the three types of cities. The larger the flow of tourism between cities, the higher the network level, and the wider the network range. The high-level nodes are closely related, while the peripheral nodes are more widely distributed, with weak attractiveness and inconvenient traffic, forming a “core-edge” structure. Different network patterns are established for different modes of transportation. The degree of response of different types of transportation to distance is the main factor influencing the network patterns of diverse paths. These findings have practical implications for the choice of appropriate travel destinations and transportation modes for tourists.


Entropy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Niven ◽  
Markus Abel ◽  
Michael Schlegel ◽  
Steven H. Waldrip

The concept of a “flow network”—a set of nodes and links which carries one or more flows—unites many different disciplines, including pipe flow, fluid flow, electrical, chemical reaction, ecological, epidemiological, neurological, communications, transportation, financial, economic and human social networks. This Feature Paper presents a generalized maximum entropy framework to infer the state of a flow network, including its flow rates and other properties, in probabilistic form. In this method, the network uncertainty is represented by a joint probability function over its unknowns, subject to all that is known. This gives a relative entropy function which is maximized, subject to the constraints, to determine the most probable or most representative state of the network. The constraints can include “observable” constraints on various parameters, “physical” constraints such as conservation laws and frictional properties, and “graphical” constraints arising from uncertainty in the network structure itself. Since the method is probabilistic, it enables the prediction of network properties when there is insufficient information to obtain a deterministic solution. The derived framework can incorporate nonlinear constraints or nonlinear interdependencies between variables, at the cost of requiring numerical solution. The theoretical foundations of the method are first presented, followed by its application to a variety of flow networks.


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