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Signal-flow graph
A signal-flow graph or signal-flowgraph (SFG), invented by Claude Shannon, but often called a Mason graph after Samuel Jefferson Mason who coined the term, is a specialized flow graph, a directed graph in which nodes represent system variables, and branches (edges, arcs, or arrows) represent functional connections between pairs of nodes. Thus, signal-flow graph theory builds on that of directed graphs (also called digraphs), which includes as well that of oriented graphs. This mathematical theory of digraphs exists, of course, quite apart from its applications.
SFGs are most commonly used to represent signal flow in a physical system and its controller(s), forming a cyber-physical system. Among their other uses are the representation of signal flow in various electronic networks and amplifiers, digital filters, state-variable filters and some other types of analog filters. In nearly all literature, a signal-flow graph is associated with a set of linear equations.
Wai-Kai Chen wrote: "The concept of a signal-flow graph was originally worked out by Shannon [1942] in dealing with analog computers. The greatest credit for the formulation of signal-flow graphs is normally extended to Mason [1953], [1956]. He showed how to use the signal-flow graph technique to solve some difficult electronic problems in a relatively simple manner. The term signal flow graph was used because of its original application to electronic problems and the association with electronic signals and flowcharts of the systems under study."
Lorens wrote: "Previous to Mason's work, C. E. Shannon worked out a number of the properties of what are now known as flow graphs. Unfortunately, the paper originally had a restricted classification and very few people had access to the material."
"The rules for the evaluation of the graph determinant of a Mason Graph were first given and proven by Shannon [1942] using mathematical induction. His work remained essentially unknown even after Mason published his classical work in 1953. Three years later, Mason [1956] rediscovered the rules and proved them by considering the value of a determinant and how it changes as variables are added to the graph. [...]"
Robichaud et al. identify the domain of application of SFGs as follows:
The following illustration and its meaning were introduced by Mason to illustrate basic concepts:
In the simple flow graphs of the figure, a functional dependence of a node is indicated by an incoming arrow, the node originating this influence is the beginning of this arrow, and in its most general form the signal flow graph indicates by incoming arrows only those nodes that influence the processing at the receiving node, and at each node, i, the incoming variables are processed according to a function associated with that node, say Fi. The flowgraph in (a) represents a set of explicit relationships:
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Signal-flow graph
A signal-flow graph or signal-flowgraph (SFG), invented by Claude Shannon, but often called a Mason graph after Samuel Jefferson Mason who coined the term, is a specialized flow graph, a directed graph in which nodes represent system variables, and branches (edges, arcs, or arrows) represent functional connections between pairs of nodes. Thus, signal-flow graph theory builds on that of directed graphs (also called digraphs), which includes as well that of oriented graphs. This mathematical theory of digraphs exists, of course, quite apart from its applications.
SFGs are most commonly used to represent signal flow in a physical system and its controller(s), forming a cyber-physical system. Among their other uses are the representation of signal flow in various electronic networks and amplifiers, digital filters, state-variable filters and some other types of analog filters. In nearly all literature, a signal-flow graph is associated with a set of linear equations.
Wai-Kai Chen wrote: "The concept of a signal-flow graph was originally worked out by Shannon [1942] in dealing with analog computers. The greatest credit for the formulation of signal-flow graphs is normally extended to Mason [1953], [1956]. He showed how to use the signal-flow graph technique to solve some difficult electronic problems in a relatively simple manner. The term signal flow graph was used because of its original application to electronic problems and the association with electronic signals and flowcharts of the systems under study."
Lorens wrote: "Previous to Mason's work, C. E. Shannon worked out a number of the properties of what are now known as flow graphs. Unfortunately, the paper originally had a restricted classification and very few people had access to the material."
"The rules for the evaluation of the graph determinant of a Mason Graph were first given and proven by Shannon [1942] using mathematical induction. His work remained essentially unknown even after Mason published his classical work in 1953. Three years later, Mason [1956] rediscovered the rules and proved them by considering the value of a determinant and how it changes as variables are added to the graph. [...]"
Robichaud et al. identify the domain of application of SFGs as follows:
The following illustration and its meaning were introduced by Mason to illustrate basic concepts:
In the simple flow graphs of the figure, a functional dependence of a node is indicated by an incoming arrow, the node originating this influence is the beginning of this arrow, and in its most general form the signal flow graph indicates by incoming arrows only those nodes that influence the processing at the receiving node, and at each node, i, the incoming variables are processed according to a function associated with that node, say Fi. The flowgraph in (a) represents a set of explicit relationships: