The exclusive entities in the formalization of a decision problem based on a discrete event system by means of Petri nets

Resumen

The design of discrete event systems (DES) can be seen as a sequence of decisions, which allows obtaining a final product that comply with a set of specifications and operates with efficiency. A decision support system can alleviate the decision making as well as provide with more information and tools to make the best choice to the decision-maker. The decisions related to the design of a DES may include the choice among a set of alternative structural configurations. These alternatives may be defined by the designer by mere combinations of subsystems that solve subproblems associated to the specifications and behaviour of the DES. As a consequence, it is possible that the alternative configurations share redundant information that lead to improvements in the classical approaches to solve this type of decision problems. In this paper, the formalization of a decision problem based on a DES, underlining the characteristic feature of exclusivity between alternative configurations is presented as a tool that broadens the classical approach with new ideas and techniques to improve the efficiency in the solving of decision problems.