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Random Access Machine

Definition

A Random Access Machine (RAM) is a theoretical model of computation that describes a computer capable of accessing any memory location directly and in constant time, regardless of its physical address. While a conceptual model, its principles are fundamental to understanding how modern computers process information and execute instructions efficiently. In the context of blockchain, the computational models underlying smart contract execution environments often draw parallels to RAM for analyzing their performance characteristics. It provides a basis for algorithmic complexity analysis.