NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.
Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
An Approximation Algorithm for the Coefficients of the Reliability Polynomial
Published
Author(s)
Brian D. Cloteaux, Isabel M. Beichl, F Sullivan
Abstract
The reliability polynomial gives the probability that a graph remains connected given that each edge in it can fail independently with a probability p. While in general determining the coefficients of this polynomial is #P-complete, we give a randomized algorithm for approximating its coefficients. When compared to the known approximation method of Colbourn, Debroni and Myrvold, our method empirically shows a much faster rate of convergence.
Cloteaux, B.
, Beichl, I.
and Sullivan, F.
(2010),
An Approximation Algorithm for the Coefficients of the Reliability Polynomial, Congressus Numerantium, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=902705
(Accessed October 27, 2025)