The space/time/effort triangle (was: Re: sed man page error ...)

[Chris Torek]

In article <1150 at mwtech.UUCP> martin at mwtech.UUCP (Martin Weitzel) writes:
>When speaking about "optimization", I often sketch the above three goals
>on a sheet of paper as follows:
>
>		TIME  ---------------- SPACE
>		    \                  /
>	             \                /
>	              \              /
>	               \            /
>	                \          /
>	                 \        /
>	                  \      /
>	                   \    /
>	                    \  /
>	                   EFFORT
>
>Now you can assume that any reasonable% program can be associated with
>some location inside this triangle. ...

I think this should be a `shape of constant diameter' rather than a
triangle. :-)

(A solid with a constant diameter cross-section will work as a roller.
If you make a manhole [personhole?] cover out of such a shape, the
cover will not fit through its hole.  A solid disc is the most obvious
shape, but you can construct a `triangular' constant-diameter object by
drawing the above as an equilateral triangle, then using a compass to
draw an arc from each pair of adjacent corners, centered on their
opposite corner.  I.e., set the compass point at EFFORT and draw an arc
from SPACE to TIME, then set it at SPACE and draw from TIME to EFFORT,
etc.)
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Lawrence Berkeley Lab CSE/EE (+1 415 486 5427)
Berkeley, CA		Domain:	torek at ee.lbl.gov