Ballot Definitions
- $\mathcal{B}$
- Set of all ballots.
- Ballot or $B$ ↗
- A record or instance of the full protocol that contains all the needed information as shown below here.
- Value or $B$dec
- The value for a decree that the protocol is recording
- Quorum or $B$qrm ↗
- A nonempty set of nodes (the ballot’s quorum). Usually thought of as ( Nodes / 2 + 1).
- Votes or $B$vote
- Vote by nodes for a particular round of a decree process
- Ballot Number or $B$bal ↗
- A unique descriptor of a vote that can be compared with any other ballot to determine which comes first.
- Null prior ballot or Null vote (sentinel)
- A sentinel value indicating that no prior accepted ballot exists in the queried quorum. Formally represented by a ballot number of $-\infty$, which is less than any valid ballot number.
- Null value
- BLANK IE: A sentinel meaning no value has been chosen; it is not a valid decree.