Generalized algebraic structures for the representation of discrete systems (Q1386502)

The authors develop algebraic structures appropriate for the representation of a wide range of discrete systems; namely, an abelian monoid and a commutative ring whose elements can be associated with discrete systems. They describe expressions for elements of these structures, conditions under which representations of systems are valid and show the uniqueness of the representation. These structures are specialized to obtain representations for finite-state machines, Petri nets and inhibitor nets. The authors give examples of representations for each type of systems.