Distributed Computing Through Combinatorial Topology

Chapter 8

Read-Write Protocols for General Tasks

Abstract

So far we have focused on protocols for colorless tasks—tasks in which we care only about the tasks’ sets of input and output values, not which processes are associated with which values. Whereas many important tasks are colorless, not all of them are. because it matters which process takes which value. We have been able to analyze colorless tasks using very simple tools from combinatorial topology, but here we will see that understanding more general kinds of tasks will require slightly more sophisticated concepts and techniques.

Keywords

General tasks; Protocol complex; Protocol; Task

So far we have focused on protocols for colorless tasks—tasks in which we care only about the tasks’ sets ...