1. Context

Even if the Markovian approach is not without its strengths, as we have already shown [SE 4 071] , the fact remains that it quickly reaches its limits when it comes to tackling problems whose nature departs from simple classical reliability/availability calculations, as is the case when the reliability parameters cease to be exponential, or when the size of the system under study leads to an explosion in the number of states.

Does this mean that the situation of the reliability engineer is hopeless? No, of course not, but he must resolve...