Advances in Decision Sciences
Volume 2006 (2006), Issue 1, Pages Article 84735, 6 p.
doi:10.1155/JAMDS/2006/84735

Analyzing linear recursive projects as an absorbing chain

Abstract

Hardie (2001) used general Markov chains to study the linear “recursive projects” in which some activities may be revisited after a later activity is completed. In this paper, we propose that it is better to treat the project as an absorbing chain. This allows us to calculate the expected value and the variance of the project duration.