Introducing Petri nets to university students: a structured educational framework (material de apoyo)

Abstract

This paper outlines an approach to integrating Petri nets into university education, highlighting their use in modeling complex processes. Petri nets provide a mathematical and graphical way to represent concurrent and distributed systems, offering valuable skills for students in computer science, engineering, and applied mathematics. In education, Petri net modeling applies across disciplines, connecting with various subjects and fostering educational synergy. This encourages students to apply and expand knowledge across courses, enhancing their ability to solve complex problems. Our methodology combines foundational theory with practical applications, allowing students to model and analyze automation and control systems. Starting with basic concepts, the curriculum advances to structures for common automation sequences. It emphasizes practical experience, where students implement Petri net models using LADDER programming, an intuitive industrial automation language. This process helps students understand system behavior and industrial control mechanisms. This approach provides students with theoretical modeling knowledge and technical implementation skills, preparing them to meet the demand for expertise in automation and distributed systems.