[messaging] pond alike lists (was: Re: pond alike group messaging)

[Jeff Burdges]

There are errors in my comments on multiple clients checking the same
mailbox.  It's easy to compute min(A,B) where A and B are independent
identically exponentially distributed random variables.  Just another
exponential!  :)  It's harder if they've minimum and maximum delays
though. 

In any case, Christian Grothoff found an easy solution when I mentioned
the problem :

Fix the maximum number n of machines allowed on the mailing list.
Select a waiting time random variable T.  If there are k participants
then choose {x_1,...,x_k} such that x_1 + .. + x_k = n.  Tell the ith
machine to check as if it were x_i independent machines, either by
working out \min_j=1^{x_i} T_j or by simply using x_i independent
timers.  If k changes, then reassign the x_i.

Jeff


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