On the sequential nature of functions

  • Authors:

  • Patrick C. Fischer;Edward L. Robertson;Lawrence V. Saxton

  • Affiliations:

  • -;-;-

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computer and System Sciences
  • Year:
  • 1976

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Abstract

We discuss the notion of interactive or ''on-line'' computing as opposed to batchor ''off-line'' computing, where the input is fully read before any output is produced. The notion of a ''maximally defined sequential approximation'' is introduced and used to classify the nonsequential functions. The nonsequential functions have varying degrees of sequentiality ranging from the ''truly off-line'' functions to the ''almost sequential'' functions, and a dense spectrum is exhibited.