CHP 8: Critical Path Analysis - Key Terminology

Question 1

Definition of PRECEDENCE/DEPENDENCE TABLE

Answer 1

A table which shows which activities must be completed before others are started.

Question 2

Definition of ACTIVITY NETWORK

Answer 2

The activities are represented by arcs and the completion of those activities, known as events, are shown as nodes.

Question 3

State the features of an ACTIVITY NETWORK

Answer 3

• Each arc is labelled with a letter.
• The beginning and end of that activity is shown by the ends of the arc.
• Arrow are used to define direction.
• Convention is to use straight lines for arcs.
• Each node is numbered from 0 to N.

Question 4

Definition of SOURCE NODE

Answer 4

Nodes are numbered from 0 which is the first node named the source node.

Question 5

Definition of SINK NODE

Answer 5

The final node added.

Question 6

Definition of DUMMY ACTIVITY

Answer 6

It has no time or cost. Its sole purpose is to show dependencies between activities.

Question 7

Why are DUMMIES used?

Answer 7

1) As every activity must be uniquely represented in terms of its events, this requires that there can be at most one activity between any two events.
2) To show the dependence of an activity.