A simple algorithm to search for all minimal cutsets with unreliable nodes

A minimal cutset is a cut between source node and sink node such that any proper subset of such minimal cutset is not a cut. A simple method is proposed to determine all minimal cutsets in a network subject to both arc and node failure. The proposed method exactly determines minimal cutsets for an unreliable network from the minimal cutsets of the associated network with perfect nodes and arcs. This eliminates the further checking required by the best known algorithm for this procedure and hence provides a more efficient approach. The proposed method requires only elementary concepts and is simple to understand and implement. By coping with unreliable nodes and arcs the algorithm provides a valuable tool for analyzing the reliability of an existing network.