• For a system with reasonably complex interrelationships, the block diagram

reduction procedure is cumbersome and often quite difficult to complete.

• An alternative method for determining the relationship between system variables
has been developed by Mason and is based on a representation of the system by
line segments.
• A signal-flow graph is a diagram consisting of nodes that are connected by
several directed branches and is a graphical representation of a set of linear
relations.

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• The input and output points or junctions are called nodes.

• The nodes are connected by line segments called branches.

• A signal can transmit through a branch only in the direction of the arrow.

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• Input Node (Source): An input node is a node that has only outgoing branches.

• Output Node (Sink): An output node is a node that has only incoming branches.

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• A path is a branch or a continuous sequence of branches that can be traversed
from one signal (node) to another signal (node).
• A loop is a closed path that originates and terminates on the same node, with no
node being met twice along the path.
• Two loops are said to be nontouching if they do not have a common node.

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• Forward Path: A forward path is a path that starts at an input node and ends at
an output node and along which no node is traversed more than once.
• Path Gain: The product of the branch gains encountered in traversing a path is
called the path gain.
• Forward-Path Gain: The forward-path gain is the path gain of a forward path.

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• The value of the variable represented by a node is equal to the sum of
all the signals entering the node.

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• Signal-flow graph with parallel paths replaced by one with a single
branch.

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• Signal-flow graph with cascade unidirectional branches replaced by a
single branch.

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• Given an SFG with N forward paths and K loops, the gain between the input node
and output node is

• N = total number of forward paths between the input node and output node ,
• Pk = gain of the kth forward path between the input node and output node ,
• = determinant of the system,
• = determinant of the kth forward path.

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• The determinant is

, , ,

𝛥 = 1 − (sum of all different loop gains)

+ (sum of the gain products of all combinations of two nontouching loops)
− (sum of the gain products of all combinations of three nontouching loops)
+ ...
• 𝛥 = the 𝛥 for that part of the SFG that is nontouching with the kth forward path.

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• Find the transfer function of figure shown below.

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• Find the transfer function (T(s)) of figure shown below.

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• Find the transfer function (T(s)) of figure shown below.

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• Find the transfer function (T(s)) of figure shown below.

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• Find the transfer function (T(s)) of figure shown below.

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