Understanding CAP Theorem and Consistency
CAP is useful only when its definitions are clear. This sequence begins with a small illustrated argument, then adds Brewer's discussion of partition handling and recovery. The middle readings distinguish eventual consistency from stronger guarantees expressed through operation histories. The final paper asks what availability and convergence permit beyond the usual CAP slogan. Engineers comparing replicated databases should use the list to turn vague requirements into specific observations a client must be able to make. After each reading, sketch a two-replica example with delayed messages and state which outcomes are allowed. The progression moves from accessible explanation to formal research; the last resource deserves a slower reading than the first. Curated from collections by Dan Creswell (https://dancres.github.io/Pages/) and Fred Hébert (https://ferd.ca/a-distributed-systems-reading-list.html); commentary and reading order are original.