A new approach to the analysis of discrete event dynamic systems

We present a new, time domain approach to the study of discrete event dynamical systems (DEDS), typified by queueing networks and production systems. A general state-space representation is developed and perturbation analysis is carried out. Observation of a single sample realization of such a system can be used to predict behavior over other sample realizations, when some parameter is perturbed, without having to make additional observations. Conditions under which this is always possible are investigated and explicit results for some special cases are included.