Principles of distributed computing

Abstract

The Distributed Computing Column covers the theory of systems that are composed of a number of interacting computing elements. These include problems of communication and networking, databases, distributed shared memory, multiprocessor architectures, operating systems, verification, internet, and the web.This is the first Distributed Computing Column that I have edited. It consists of four sections: A few thoughts on the role of distributed computing theory, a reprint of the PODC 2000 Influential-Paper Award to statement, a review of the PODC 2000 Conference, and a summary of a paper on robotics presented at the conference. The column concludes with some news and acknowledgments.