Re: Is it better to set the freelist to a prime number ?

I think it is purely down to the choice
of algorithm. The hash function Oracle
uses for hash partitions is clearly
designed as a 2^N algorithm for mechanical reasons. But I have a memory that the best randomisers always used prime numbers
for the hash target.

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Jonathan Lewis
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Yong Huang wrote in message
<07b6be7c6105b142172a9b70371d2d92.99975_at_mygate.mailgate.org>...


>"Jonathan Lewis" <jonathan_at_jlcomp.demon.co.uk> wrote in message

>news:1026200922.18484.1.nnrp-13.9e984b29_at_news.demon.co.uk

>

>>

>> When a process requests a free list,

>> it uses some sort of 'hashing' function

>> to select which free list, based on the

>> process id.  Using a prime number

>> with such mechanisms usually reduces

>> the number of collisions that occur if

>> the input is randomly distributed.

>

>Jonathan, I think you meant non-randomly, or not sufficiently randomly.

>Otherwise why does the prime number matter? But I could be wrong.

>

>Yong Huang

>

>

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