from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
cycle of reincarnation
reincarnation, cycle of
A term coined by {Ivan Sutherland} ca. 1970 to refer to a
well-known effect whereby function in a computing system
family is migrated out to special-purpose {peripheral}
hardware for speed, then the peripheral evolves toward more
computing power as it does its job, then somebody notices that
it is inefficient to support two asymmetrical processors in
the architecture and folds the function back into the main
{CPU}, at which point the cycle begins again.
Several iterations of this cycle have been observed in
{graphics-processor} ({blitter}) design, and at least one or
two in communications and {floating-point} processors. Also
known as "the Wheel of Life", "the Wheel of Samsara" and other
variations of the basic Hindu/Buddhist theological idea.
[{Jargon File}]
(1994-11-16)