Re: ALTing select mechanism implementation

["Stephen Maudsley" <stephen.maudsley@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Roy Wilson <designrw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Java-Threads Mailing List <java-threads@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, 03 May, 2000 12:33 PM
Subject: ALTing select mechanism implementation


> I see from the JCSP 1.0-rc1 API Specification for Class: Alternative
> (under description) that "select .... makes an arbitrary choice".
>
> I assume that arbitrary means random, or more particularly, selected
> from a uniform distribution based on a pseudo-random number. I have
> several (perhaps picky) questions:

Bear in mind that the English language definition of arbitrary is "1.
determined by chance, whim or impulse 2. not limited by law; despotic"

Certainly the transputer implementation of ALT met the latter
definition..... and I'm not sure that the first automatically leads to the
assumption of randomness or even distributions......

--
-- Stephen Maudsley, Esgem Limited mailto:Stephen.Maudsley@xxxxxxxxx
-- http://www.esgem.com
-- Tel: +44-1453-521626 Mobile: +44-7770-810991
-- company registered in England 3372135, http://www.esgem.com/contact.htm