Whiteboard: Desiderata	last revised by 216.39.48.82 on Aug 17, 2005 2:34 am

Knuth's list  (Page 235 of "The Art of Computer Programming", Volume 1
                (Fundamental Algorithms)
    Operations you want to be able to perform on linear lists:
        i) Gain access to the kth node of the list to examine and/or to
            change the contents of its fields.
       ii) Insert a new node just before the kth node.
      iii) Delete the kth node.
       iv) Combine two or more linear lists into a single list.
        v) Split a linear list into two or more lists.
       vi) Make a copy of a linear list.
      vii) Determine the number of nodes in a list.
     viii) Sort the nodes of the list into ascending order based on
            certain fields of the nodes.
       ix) Search the list for the occurence of a node with a particular
            value in some field.

Our corresponding list
    Operations you want to be able to perform on collections of keyed
        information: 
.       i) Access the element at a given position.
.      ii) insert a new element at a given position.
.     iii) Delete an element at a given position.
.      iv) Combine two collections.
.       v) split a collection into two.
.       vi) make a (virtual) copy of a collection.
      vii) determine the size of a collection.
     viii) sort the collection by a particular field
         A) by a common field that you're willing to keep up-to-date.
         B) by a field that you won't use often enough to keep
            up-to-date. 
       ix) search for an item for with a particular value in some
            field.
PLUS
    A.  keep history, compare versions
    B.  link information together
    C.  provide access control
    D.  resolve contention  (allow multiple users to work and not conflict)