According to Reliability Rule 1, how is the probability of success defined for independent events?

The probability of success for independent events, according to Reliability Rule 1, is defined as the product of the probabilities of the events. This means that when you have multiple independent events occurring, the overall probability that all of these independent events will succeed is determined by multiplying their individual probabilities together.

In mathematical terms, if you have two events A and B, the probability of both A and B occurring is calculated by multiplying the probability of A by the probability of B (P(A and B) = P(A) * P(B)). This rule is essential in operations management because it helps assess the overall reliability of systems composed of multiple independent components.

This approach contrasts with summing probabilities or taking averages, as those methods do not accurately reflect the interaction of independent events, which do not influence each other's likelihood of occurring. Thus, understanding that the reliability of a system improves with the multiplication of independent event probabilities provides critical insight into how overall system reliability can be evaluated and achieved.