RELIABILITY in dynamic terms
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2828 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences |
The reliability of physical or mechanical systems follows a characteristic curve in time. The curve includes three successive regions:
- the early or “youth” period when the systems have a high, but swiftly declining failure rate , as a result of the quick elimination of those who were defective because of some construction fault
- the useful life period when the failures are at their minimal level , during a quite long time , as the defective systems have been eliminated
- the breakdown period, when a quickly growing number of systems fail due to wear and aging
Of course, at each stage, reliability can be tested through appropriate methods.
An intriguing question mark is if and how this concept of reliability could be applied in the case of human systems: entreprises, political systems, or cultures among others
See also
Automata (Reliability of), Redundancy