Transposition is Nearly Optimal for IID List Update
In the list update problem, is the simple transposition rule optimal under IID requests? The question traces to Rivest's 1976 study of self-organizing lists. The paper proves transposition is within a small constant factor of the optimal online algorithm under any IID distribution.
Exact FrontierDelta
Scope and record
Occurred: Mar 10, 2026
Delta type: SOURCE CLAIM
Assumptions: VibeMathed verification: unreviewed. Publication: preprint. AI contribution: ai-assisted. Imported under CC BY 4.0.
Canonical aliases: Transposition is Nearly Optimal for IID List Update · IID list update
Confidence: Not scored
Registry verification: unreviewed · preprint · resolved
Attribution
VibeMathed
registry · event recorded by
Christian Coester
human · human collaborator
GPT-5 Pro
model · ai model contributor · OpenAI
Lineage and corrections
This event attributed to Christian Coester
This event attributed to GPT-5 Pro