An Intelligent Petri Nets Model Based on Competitive Neural Network

Petri nets are powerful and versatile tools for modeling, simulating, analyzing, designing and controlling of many complex systems. This paper addresses a hybrid approach combining competitive neural network and Petri nets in the formal model of intelligent Petri nets. The proposed model not only takes the descriptive advantages of Petri nets, but also has neuron learning and knowledge reduction ability like competitive neural network. It is suitable for dynamic process and information, e.g., the weights are adjustable. For the simulation of the model, it is applied in the conceptual modeling of supply chain for inter-organizational cooperation in manufacturing industry. The intelligent Petri nets model is an innovative method concerning intelligent transition of Petri nets. Meanwhile, the numerical example illustrates that the proposed model can be applied to the real-time supplier selection for intelligent decision-making, and a novel method is provided for modeling in supply chain concerned.