Perl 6 introduces the concept of junctions: values that are composites of other values. [24] In the earliest days of Perl 6′s design, these were called “superpositions”, by analogy to the concept in quantum physics of quantum superpositions — waveforms that can simultaneously occupy several states until observation “collapses” them. A Perl 5 module released in 2000 by Damian Conway called Quantum::Superpositions [25] provided an initial proof of concept. While at first, such superpositional values seemed like merely a programmatic curiosity, over time their utility and intuitiveness became widely recognized, and junctions now occupy a central place in Perl 6′s design.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl_6)
Keywords: junctions, composite value, superposition, Perl 6, design
Since the action of joining or being joined is evidently one of the central issues of this blog, a definition of junction might be useful (definition understood as communicative act to describe a phenomenon).
WordNet 2.1 Synonyms Only says:
/noun./ spot, topographic point, place, unification, union, connexion, link, connection, connective, connector, connecter, joining,
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The Quantum::Superpositions module provides a new scalar data structure: the superposition. In a metaphor drawn from quantum mechanics, superpositions store a collection of values by overlaying them in parallel superimposed states within a single scalar variable.
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A junction is a superposition of data values pretending to be a single data value.
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junction – the shape or manner [sic!] in which things come together and a connection is made
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