A unified algorithm of reliability estimation of k-out-of-n systems implied by the structure function

Abstract A new algebraic form of the structure function of a system will be proposed and its significant properties will be proved. The usefulness of these results in construction of algorithms of reliability estimation will be presented. The general approach to the desig of the algorithms of reliability estimation for both k-out-of-n and consecutive k-out-of-n systems will be presented. The method of the estimation of the lower and/or upper bound of system failure rate will be also discussed. The appropriate program in PASCAL will be given.