Explore the surprising connection between distributed systems protocols and algebraic topology concepts in this 28-minute talk on the Asynchronous Computability Theorem. Delve into a concise mathematical framework that unifies classical concurrency models, enabling reasoning about concurrency through static combinatorial structures. Learn how this connection proves the impossibility of achieving consensus in an asynchronous wait-free model. Gain insights into the mathematical foundations of distributed systems and their limitations as presented by Hei Li at Churchill College, Cambridge on January 19, 2022.
The Asynchronous Computability Theorem - Distributed Systems and Algebraic Topology