During the last decade, the area of stochastic max-plus linear systems has witnessed a rapid development, which created a growing interest in this area. This book provides a thorough treatment of the theory of stochastic max-plus linear systems. Max-plus algebra is an algebraic approach to discrete event systems (DES), like queuing networks that are prone to synchronization. Perturbation analysis studies the sensitivity of the performance of DES with respect to changes in a particular system parameter.

The first part of the book addresses modeling issues and stability theory for stochastic max-plus systems. The second part of the book treats perturbation analysis of max-plus systems: a calculus for differentiation of max-plus systems is developed. This calculus leads to numerical evaluations of performance indices of max-plus linear stochastic systems, such as the Lyapunov exponent or waiting times.

Trains pull into a railroad station and must wait for each other before leaving again in order to let passengers change trains. How do mathematicians then calculate a railroad timetable that accurately reflects their comings and goings? One approach is to use max-plus algebra, a framework used to model Discrete Event Systems, which are well suited to describe the ordering and timing of events. This is the first textbook on max-plus algebra, providing a concise and self-contained introduction to the topic.

Applications of max-plus algebra abound in the world around us. Traffic systems, computer communication systems, production lines, and flows in networks are all based on discrete even systems, and thus can be conveniently described and analyzed by means of max-plus algebra.

The book consists of an introduction and thirteen chapters in three parts. Part One explores the introduction of max-plus algebra and of system descriptions based upon it. Part Two deals with a real application, namely the design of timetables for railway networks. Part Three examines various extensions, such as stochastic systems and min-max-plus systems. The text is suitable for last-year undergraduates in mathematics, and each chapter provides exercises, notes, and a reference section.