Fast technological development produces systems of ever-increasing complex­ ity. The demand for reliable functioning of these systems has become more and more important. Thus, there is a need for highly reliable
technical devices and systems, for monitoring and controlling their functioning and for planning maintenance and corrective actions to fulfill given requirements considering eco­ nomic limitations. These tasks reflect the wide
field of engineering activities that are accompa­ nied by and based on a wide range of stochastical models. The book presents the main contributions to a workshop on Stochastic Models of Reliability, Qual­ ity, and Safety held
in Schierke near Magdeburg, Germany. This workshop was part of a series of meetings that take place every two years organized by the Society of Reliability, Quality and Safety. The basic idea of these workshops is to bring
together theorists, applied statisticians, and practitioners to exchange experiences and ideas of common interest. The book contains recent results in reliability and related fields. The presentation aims at making at least a
part of the results accessible to engineers.