Ask HN: Algorithms and data structures for humans and physical objects?
Hi HN,<p>Is there algorithms and data structures for humans to manage physical objects, or researches on this topic? For example, a sorting algorithm for a human to sort a pile of books or papers, or a structure for someone to manage a large bookshelf so that they can find a book quickly given its name.<p>Obviously, human algorithms should be designed with different assumptions than computer algorithms. Humans can insert objects into an array in near constant time, don&#x27;t have constant time random access, and physical objects can&#x27;t be copied, etc. These assumptions change the properties of existing algorithms, and may raise new algorithms into view under these new assumptions. But exactly how? What term should I start searching with?<p>This question originally came out when I collected and hand-sorted hundreds of exam papers as a TA.