Control of vector discrete-event systems. I. The base model

A vector discrete-event system (VDES) is a discrete-event system model in which the system state is represented by a vector with integer components, and state transitions by integer vector addition. The authors investigate such structures from the viewpoint of control theory. The objective is to specialize to VDES the general automation-based control theory of P.J. Ramadge and W.M. Wonham (1987) and W.M. Wonham and P.J. Ramadge (1988). It is shown that within the VDES framework a useful class of control systems can be compactly modeled, and some of the associated control problems of Ramadge and Wonham can be more efficiently solved.>