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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>speed of light</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../S.html" title="S"/><link rel="previous" href="special-case.html" title="special-case"/><link rel="next" href="speedometer.html" title="speedometer"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">speed of light</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="special-case.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">S</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="speedometer.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="speed-of-light"/><dt xmlns="" id="speed-of-light"><b>speed of light</b></dt></dt><dd><p>The absolutely fastest a particular algorithm or application could be
implemented, given a set of constraints that are assumed to be
unchangeable. For example, &#8220;<span class="quote">This would take 60 microseconds without
any processing whatsoever, so that's the speed of light.</span>&#8221; However,
as one brilliant hacker once commented: &#8220;<span class="quote">Remember that the speed of
light only is constant if you can't redesign the universe.</span>&#8221;</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="special-case.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../S.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="speedometer.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">special-case </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> speedometer</td></tr></table></div></body></html>