Partial Synchrony

This is a network assumption.

• Definition 1

  \def\gst{\ensuremath{GST}}
  \def\gstduration{\ensuremath{L}}
  \def\delay{\ensuremath{\Delta}}
  A network is partially synchronous, if there exist times \gst, unknown to the servers in the system, and \gstduration{}, specified by the protocol, such that for all intervals of time period $\gst+\gstduration$, the network can delay messages arbitrarily until time \gst, followed by a period of length \gstduration{} where messages sent by honest servers are delivered by time \delay.
  

• Definition 2

  \def\gsttime{\ensuremath{GST}}
  \def\gstduration{\ensuremath{L}}
  \def\delay{\ensuremath{\Delta}}
  In this network model, the network consists of the following parameters:
  \begin{itemize}
  \item a public delay parameter \delay{}
  \item a global stabilization time \gsttime{} chosen by the adversary
  \item a period of synchrony \gstduration{} provided by the protocol running in this network
  \end{itemize}
  such that for time periods of length $\gsttime+\gstduration$, the network is asynchronous for the first time period \gsttime, and \delay{}-bounded synchronous for the remaining time period of length \gstduration{}.