Introduction to Discrete Event Systems

Introduction to Discrete Event Systems is a comprehensive introduction to the field of discrete event systems, offering a breadth of coverage that makes the material accessible to readers of varied backgrounds. The book emphasizes a unified modeling framework that transcends specific application areas, linking the following topics in a coherent manner: language and automata theory, supervisory control, Petri net theory, Markov chains and queueing theory, discrete-event simulation, and concurrent estimation techniques.

Distinctive features of the second edition include:

more detailed treatment of equivalence of automata, event diagnosis, and decentralized event diagnosis

expanded treatment of centralized and decentralized control of partially-observed systems

new sections on timed automata with guards (in the Alur-Dill formalism) and hybrid automata

an introduction to hybrid systems

updated coverage of discrete event simulation, including new software tools available

recent developments in sensitivity analysis for discrete event systems as well as hybrid systems


This textbook is valuable to advanced-level students and researchers in a variety of disciplines where the study of discrete event systems is relevant: control, communications, computer engineering, computer science, manufacturing engineering, operations research, and industrial engineering.