List processing in real time on a serial computer

@article{Baker1978ListPI,
  title={List processing in real time on a serial computer},
  author={Henry G. Baker},
  journal={Commun. ACM},
  year={1978},
  volume={21},
  pages={280-294}
}
  • H. Baker
  • Published 1 April 1978
  • Computer Science
  • Commun. ACM
A real-time list processing system is one in which the time required by the elementary list operations (e.g. CONS, CAR, CDR, RPLACA, RPLACD, EQ, and ATOM in LISP) is bounded by a (small) constant. Classical implementations of list processing systems lack this property because allocating a list cell from the heap may cause a garbage collection, which process requires time proportional to the heap size to finish. A real-time list processing system is presented which continuously reclaims garbage… 
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References

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List Processing in Real Time on a Serial Computer
TLDR
A real-time list processing system is presented which continuously reclaims garbage, including directed cycles, while linearizing and compacting the accessible cells into contiguous locations to avoid fragmenting the free storage pool.
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TLDR
Algorithms for recovering discarded list structures in this manner are presented and analyzed to determine sufficient conditions under which the list processor never needs to wait on the collector, which are suitable for measuring the typical behavior of the algorithm.
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This paper describes a new way of solving the storage reclamation problem for a system such as Lisp that allocates storage automatically from a heap, and does not require the programmer to give any…
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The implementation is based on a powerful microprogrammed processor designed specifically for LISP, which manipulates items which have a built-in data-type field and incorporates the personal computer philosophy.
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A special microprogram controlled process designed for efficient interpretation of the LISP language is described, which includes a storage-compacting garbage-collector, which can be made to operate incrementally in parallel with user-program execution.
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