Pram

A pram, short for perambulator, is a type of baby carriage designed for transporting infants. Historically broad, a pram typically features a reclining bassinet or carriage that allows the infant to lie flat, and a long handle for pushing. Unlike a stroller, which is generally designed for older babies and toddlers who can sit up, a pram is used primarily for newborns and very young infants. Modern prams often include a canopy, facing-in or face-out seating configurations, adjustable suspension, and the ability to convert to different configurations.

In British English, pram is common; in American English the term baby carriage or stroller is more common. The term pushchair is also used in parts of the UK. Prams have a long history dating to the late 19th century, with designs evolving from fixed-frame carriages to lightweight, foldable models. Safety features include harnesses, brakes, and stable wheels; users should follow manufacturer instructions.

PRAM stands for Parallel Random Access Machine, a theoretical model of parallel computation used in computer science. In a PRAM, a set of processors operate synchronously and share a global memory. Variants include EREW (exclusive read, exclusive write), CREW (concurrent read, exclusive write), and CRCW (concurrent read, concurrent write). PRAMs simplify analysis of parallel algorithms by ignoring factors such as memory hierarchy and contention, but may overstate achievable speedups in practice.