List

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Revision as of 15:26, 1 February 2007 by Bender (talk | contribs) (Caretaker: categories)

In the nodal model, a list is a linked list formed from nodal associations which link each item in a list with the previous and next items. These lists are the basis of the arrow of time in the nodal model.

A list is called a loop if all the items form a closed circuit, or a thread if not. Threads have a start item signified by its previous-association being unconnected (connected to root), and a last item having its next-association unconnected. In nodal reduction, threads only rotate once and are then automatically unhooked because every quanta sent to root is a new quanta.

Since none of the items in a loop is a starting or finishing point, a loop can be referenced by any of its node-items. This means that a reference to a loop can also encapsulate the concept of an item of current focus, a concept used heavily by nodal reduction.

In nodal reduction, a node's value (obtained by calling nodeGet/SetValue with the key parameter set to zero) is called the current focus which is a node within the local list. This node of current-focus is the one which will receive the next quantum of execution from its parent node, and is part of the unified tree of current "work" being processed by nodal reduction.

If a list has static structure, then it can appear in many contexts simaltaneously, it's parent association will be dynamically maintained by the nodal reduction algorithm.