Elsevier

Journal of Complexity

Volume 1, Issue 2, December 1985, Pages 170-196
Journal of Complexity

Optimal precision in the presence of uncertainty

https://doi.org/10.1016/0885-064X(85)90010-XGet rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Abstract

We consider the problem of achieving coordinated actions in a real-time distributed system. In particular, we consider how closely (in terms of real time) processors can be guaranteed to perform a particular action, in a system where message transmission is guaranteed, but there is some uncertainty in message transmission time. We present an algorithm to achieve optimal precision in arbitrary networks. In networks where clocks run at the rate of real time, the optimal precision achievable in a network is exactly how tightly clocks can be guaranteed to be synchronized.

Cited by (0)

Presented at the Symposium on Complexity of Approximately Solved Problems, April 17, 1985.

A preliminary version of this paper appears in the Proceedings of the 17th Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing.