QUANTIFICATION OF INFORMATION IN THE CLOSED STRUCTURE OF A TECHNICAL SYSTEM

Abstract

The article shows a technique to quantify information within the structure of a technical system. The structure indicators are accepted as probability states s of the system elements that are differentiated into two opposite states according to a qualitative attribute. The author gives mathematical expressions to present calculation aimed at quantification of informational entropy. The technique is based on decomposition of the initial structure into two schemes (series-parallel and parallel-series) as regard to a singular element. The information is quantified for each scheme according to the presented formulae. The final result was gained by adding quantity of information of each scheme with due account for the information of a singular element. The obtained results were compared to similar values calculated by the method of full enumeration of system element states. Thus, there were defined errors of the calculations. The offered method allows to select a system with a higher efficiency level or structural reliability due to the comparison of entropy values of opposite states.