Journeys as a Finite State Machine (FSM)

By -
This blog post talks a bit of what a Finite State Machine (FSM) is and why it is so prominent in many aspects of software development. Worklife.Digital is extending the implementation of FSMs to the psychology world by defining the concept of Journeys, which is basically a business process implemented in a FSM.

What is a FSM?

The main properties of an FSM are:
  1. The system can only be in one of a finite number of states.
  2. It must always be in one of the finite number of states.
  3. There is a transition function to determine when a machine can change state.

 


Above is a very typical demonstration FSM. It shows clearly that the system has two states and there is a transition function that allows the machine to change between states.

Without going into detail properties of FSMs, the main benefits of FSMs are that we can make statements in other forms of logic (for example temporal logic) about these machines:
  1. We can model the outcomes of this system.
  2. The outcomes are repeatable (same inputs will always produce the same outputs)
  3. We can define failure states (undesirable states) and determine paths that lead to them.
  4. We can identify conflicting transition functions that lead to non-deterministic behavior.
  5. We can determine efficiency and efficacy of execution paths.
  6. We can even go so far as to determine the applicability of models to real world problems (by using symbolic logic model checkers such as PRISM)
  7. FSMs can be represented visually in a labeled state transitioning diagram and we can talk about it.
The bottom line is that FSMs is a formal approach to process context free languages and reason about them. It is not that problems cannot be solved without FSMs. It is just that they are efficient and effective at addressing real world probelms.

References:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Entrepreneurship and COVID-19

By -
Along with its physical destruction, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major ramifications to economies across the globe. This moment in our human history, requires all of us to be more proactive, to be self-starters, and to be resilient in the face of uncertainty. A tall order, but these requirements are not new to the average entrepreneur. In fact, entrepreneurs can be a beacon of light and an exemplar of how we should brave our new normal . As history has shown, entrepreneurs create new ventures that are the dominant source of job creation, market innovation, and economic growth in many societies (Baum et al. 2012). Most entrepreneurs’ tolerance for uncertainty and their sheer grit in overcoming obstacles, make them a strong investment option during this time, and beyond Covid-19. The right entrepreneur for the job But in this moment where risk and uncertainty are magnified, how can an investor be sure that they are investing in the ‘right’ entrepreneur. Put in another way,...
Read more

Psychodynamically informed leadership is critical in Covid-19

By -
Image
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacts on many levels: political, economic, societal and organisational.  It has turned the world upside down. Global and local leadership decisions to “flatten the curve” and defeat the ‘invisible enemy” generated mixed reactions. The new COVID-19 reality has disrupted organisational life . As a result many organisations are facing the complexity of the impacts of COVID-19 across the business value chain. People are pre-occupied with free floating anxieties manifesting in survival and fear of the future. Organisational leaders are experiencing the anxiety as a result of the business impact of COVID-19. The reflective question is: How can we understand the new reality of COVID-19 as a phenomenon which is not isolated, and as a consequence of its relationships to other phenomena such as politics, health, economy, social, leadership, diversity, inequality, unemployment, personal agency? Leadership becomes more important than ever before as a k...
Read more

COVID-19 FAQ

By -
We are surrounded by social media hype and fake news around COVID-19. This page attempts to reference research to inform our decisions. GENERAL ADVICE What is the novel Coronavirus? Listen to this video from the World Health Organisation to get basic background information about the virus.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOV1aBVYKGA&feature=youtu.be What are the signs and symptoms of COVID-19? The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Fever Cough Shortness of breath *This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses. Reference:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html What are the emergency signs? If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips...
Read more