A practical bounding algorithm for computing two-terminal reliability based on decomposition technique

Two-terminal reliability, which is defined as the probability that there exists at least one path from source node to sink node, is an important performance measure in network system. However, it is well known that the complexity of exact two-terminal reliability evaluation is NP-hard. This paper considers a bounding algorithm for computing two-terminal reliability based on decomposition technique originally used in computing multi-state reliability. Compared with traditional bounding algorithms, the proposed algorithm requires neither all MPs/MCs to be enumerated in advance, nor all arcs to have the same state probabilities. It can sequentially improve the quality of approximation according to a predetermined value εε. Especially, it may be an exact algorithm if it runs into completion. An example shows that the proposed algorithm is practical and effective.