A discussion of the basic reliability concepts and models, Reliability Models for Engineers and Scientists demystifies modern mathematical reliability models. Requiring very little mathematical background on the reader's part, this concise book introduces the models by focusing on their physical meaning and the supporting data; it then goes on to provide a wide scope of possible applications.
The book also introduces a new concept of the Gini-type index, which when applied to aging/rejuvenating components (nonrepairable systems) can measure how different a given aging/rejuvenation distribution is compared to the exponential distribution. A similar index is then applied to aging/rejuvenating repairable systems, creating a bridge between the concepts. The chapters discuss models used in reliability, risk analysis, physics of failure, fracture mechanics, biological, pharmaceutical, and medical studies. They comprise an up-to-date, concise, and informative resource on reliability models, which does not require any special mathematical background.