Nonparametric predictive inference for system failure time based on bounds for the signature
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability
Published online on May 08, 2013
Abstract
System signatures provide a powerful framework for reliability assessment for systems consisting of exchangeable components. The use of signatures in nonparametric predictive inference has been presented and leads to lower and upper survival functions for the system failure time, given failure times of tested components. However, deriving the system signature is computationally complex. This article presents how limited information about the signature can be used to derive bounds on such lower and upper survival functions and related inferences. If such bounds are sufficiently decisive they also indicate that more detailed computation of the system signature is not required.