[gclist] Name that hypothesis

[Nick Barnes]

> > I use "generational hypothesis" for this:
> > 
> > 	"Most objects die young".

> As I have tried to explain many times, this statement is ambiguous/ill-defined.
> 
> See below for clarification:
> 
> ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/hb/hbaker/YoungGen.html  (also .ps.Z)

Having read this, I suggest that the generational hypothesis could be
better stated like this:

"A young object is more likely to die soon than an old one".

I have previously measured this (in SML/NJ and Harlequin's MLWorks)
and it is certainly true for all the large programs I have studied.
You correctly point out that "most objects die young" is an inadequate
statement of this. I think this is the result of sloppy expression,
rather than fundamental misunderstanding.

Nick Barnes