VDI 4008 Blatt 5:2014-11

With the help of the graphic method of state flow graphs complex systems and modules can be modelled in their entirety, calculation methods are clear and easy to understand, the influence of individual parameters can easily be traced, the model can be simplified and approximations introduced. The application of state flow graphs allows optimisation of computer-based numerical analyses. Furthermore, their application expands the calculation and makes it less complicated in cases where an analytic procedure is preferred. This standard presents a method for safety and reliability analysis taken from graph theory that is used to find solutions to discrete Markov processes.