pathsand

Pathsand is a term used in informal discourse to describe a conceptual approach that combines the analysis of multiple potential routes through a network with a dynamic redistribution mechanism inspired by granular or sandpile models. The word is a portmanteau of paths and sand, intended to evoke the idea of flexibly reassigning flow across alternative paths in response to changing conditions. It is not a standard or widely adopted term in formal scholarly literature.

Usage and scope

There is no universally accepted definition of pathsand, and it appears primarily in blog posts, whitepapers, and notes from researchers exploring ideas related to routing, load balancing, and resilience. In these discussions, pathsand refers to a family of ideas rather than a single formal framework, typically involving ensembles of s–t paths and rules that reallocate traffic or influence along paths as bottlenecks or failures emerge.

Conceptual interpretations

In graph theory and network engineering, pathsand can denote multi-path routing with adaptive distribution, where traffic is spread across several routes to balance load and improve fault tolerance. In dynamical systems terms, it can describe a sandpile–like redistribution process on a network, where saturated paths trigger rerouting to less congested alternatives. Related concepts include multi-path routing, k-shortest paths, flow theory, and sandpile models, of which pathsand is often described as an informal synthesis.

Notability and references

As of now, pathsand lacks formal definition or widespread scholarly treatment. References are largely informal or illustrative, rather than peer-reviewed. See also pathfinding, graph theory, multi-path routing, and sandpile models.