Master of Science in Engineering Università di Siena Discrete Event Systems March 2023 - June 2023

1  News

• The course has started on March 6, 2023.
  • All students are invited to register for the course by filling the following Google form.
  • The lectures of the course will be given in presence only.
  • Videos covering the contents of the course and additional material will be available here (only for registered students).

2  About the instructor

2.1  Instructor

	Simone Paoletti, PhD
	Associate Professor
	Building: San Niccolò
	Floor: 2
	Room: 229 (red circle on the map)
	Email:
	Phone: 0577 23 5977
	Web: http://www3.diism.unisi.it/~paoletti/

2.2  Office hours

• Contact the instructor via email.

3  About the course

3.1  Training objectives

• Discrete event systems are systems whose dynamic behaviour is driven by asynchronous occurrences of discrete events.
• Examples can be found in a variety of fields, such as control, computer science, automated manufacturing, and communication and transportation networks.
• The aim of this course is to introduce several modelling, simulation and analysis tools for discrete event systems.
• Tutorials will be an important part of this course to put into practice the studied tools.

3.2  Required background

• Linear algebra
• Probability theory

3.3  Organization

• CFU: 6
• Duration:  ∼ 54 hours
• Students:
  • MSc Artificial Intelligence and Automation Engineering
  • MSc Engineering Management

3.4  Syllabus

• Logical models of discrete event systems
• Timed models of discrete event systems
• Stochastic timed models of discrete event systems

• Simulation of discrete event systems
• Continuous-time Markov chains
• Queueing theory
• Markovian queueing networks

3.5  Teaching methods

• The course is organized in lectures (60%) and tutorials (40%).

3.6  Reference book

[CL08] C.G. Cassandras, S. Lafortune, "Introduction to discrete event systems". 2nd ed., Springer, 2008.

4  Exams

4.1  Learning assessment procedures

• The final exam consists of:
  • Written test
  • Matlab project
  • Oral test
• The written test consists of exercises (typically two, to be solved in about 2 hours) on Part #1 of the course only.
  • Two dates for the written test in each exam session.
  • Passed if the grade is ≥ 15 out of 30.
  • Examples of past written tests (some with solutions) can be found in Section 4.2.
• The Matlab project mainly covers the topics of Part #2 of the course.
  • Assigned only to students who passed the written test (groups can be formed).
  • To be completed within one week from assignment.
• The oral test is a broad-spectrum discussion on the topics of the course, including theory and exercises.
  • Enabled only if the average grade of the written test and the project is ≥ 18 out of 30, and both grades ≥ 15.
  • To be given within the same session as the written test.
  • In case of failure, the student must repeat the written test (the Matlab project is kept).
  • The language for the oral test can be either English or Italian.
• The final grade takes into account the performance in all the tests, with greater weight given to the oral test.

• The written test of the final exam can be replaced with a midterm test held at the end of Part #1 of the course.
• Then, students who have passed the midterm test, are assigned the Matlab project at the end of Part #2 of the course.
• The oral test is enabled under the same conditions valid for the final exam.

4.2  Tests

• In English: 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22
• In Italian: 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12

5  Teaching material

5.1  Lecture notes

• Version 0.4 (last update: October 28, 2020)
  • The notes will be updated during the course.
  • Please always refer to the most updated version.

5.2  Exercises with solutions

• Exercises on state automata (last update: October 15, 2021)
• Exercises on timed automata (last update: October 27, 2021)
• Exercises on stochastic timed automata (last update: October 29, 2020)
• Exercises on stochastic timed automata with Poisson clock structure (last update: November 14, 2014)

6  About the lectures

6.1  Timetable

• Monday - from 8:30 AM to 11:45 AM (room F)
• Thursday - from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM (room F)

6.2  Lecture schedule