System Safety Matrix Methods

The analysis of networks is a common feature in system safety analysis. These networks may range from electronic circuits to software flowcharts to maps of land, air, sea and communications traffic. Matrix methods are the natural tool for the analysis of these networks, and the object of this paper is to describe the basics of matrix methods in the context of three common problems encountered by systems safety engineers: the Bent Pin Problem, the Sneak Circuit Problem and the Analysis of Software Logic. Comparison of these analyses will reveal deep connections between these problems and suggest directions for future research.