The Emergence Machine

Pointer

abstract · Computing · Level 7 · E10

E10Institutions

Each concept here is mapped to its prerequisites — the ideas you'd need first to understand it — all the way down to four foundations: Space, Time, Energy, Pattern. Click any prerequisite to drill down, or scroll for the chain graph.

Trace. Question. Emerge.

Emergence definition

A pointer is a variable that stores a memory address, enabling indirect access to data and dynamic memory management, building upon the capacity of software to store and manipulate coded information.

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Wiktionary senses

External reference — all senses of the word “pointer” on Wiktionary. This atlas concept maps to only the slice of meaning relevant to the prerequisite graph.

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Source: Wiktionary — “pointer”. Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Historical origin

Origin word
pointer
Origin language
English

Prerequisite chain

Possible path of this concept down to the fundamental substrate.

thisfoundationsL7L6L5L4L3L2L1L0PointerMemoryPerceptionOrganismCellSoftwareFormInformationLifeStructureChangeMatterEnergyPatternSpaceTimeE1 concrete → E14 abstract

Neighborhood

Direct prerequisites above, concepts that depend on this one below.

thisprerequisitesPointerL7SoftwareL3MemoryL6E1 concrete → E14 abstract

In other languages

Prerequisites

What you need to understand first.

  • Software L3 (requires)
    pointer builds on the concept of software
  • Memory L6 (requires)
    A pointer is a variable that stores a memory address, enabling indirect access to data and dynamic memory management.