[e2e] a means to an end

[David P. Reed]

Two thoughts:

    Any layering builds from something ... so it's interesting what you 
posit as the base case from which the mathematical induction follows.

    There is an alternative to layering: constructing a system that 
recurses or contains a looped-back-upon-itself dependency, in which 
case, the resulting behavior can be characterized by the 
least-fixed-point (LFP, result of the Y combinator, or some other 
formulation) of the functional recursion.

I realize these are abstract mathematical concepts, not always taught to 
the kids these days.  HTML and Python are thought to be verging on too 
difficult.

Regarding the IRTF DTN stuff: is the system layered or based on a least 
fixed point?


L.Wood at surrey.ac.uk wrote:
>
> David,
>
> Interesting that he thrust of current IRTF delay-tolerant
> networking work has effectively turned your statement below
> on its head, in believing that there is no need for reliability
> at the top of the network, and no need for location at the top
> of the network, either.
>
> How the network base assures sufficient reliability and assures
> that endpoint identifiers map to something meaningful would seem
> to be open problems...
>
> L.
>
> <http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/L.Wood/><L.Wood at surrey.ac.uk>
>
> > Just as there is no need for "reliability" at the base of the network,
> > there is no need for "location" at the base.
>