In: Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 77, No. 1, pages 39-58. 1989.
Abstract: It is shown that a certain class of Petri nets called event graphs can be represented as linear time-invariant finite-dimensional systems using some particular algebras. This sets the ground on which a theory of these systems can be developed in a manner which is very analogous to that of conventional linear system theory. Several ways in which one can consider event graphs as linear systems are described.