  The Actor model is a mathematical theory that treats "Actors" as the
universal primitives of concurrent digital computation. The model has been used
both as a framework for a theoretical understanding of concurrency, and as the
theoretical basis for several practical implementations of concurrent systems.
Unlike previous models of computation, the Actor model was inspired by physical
laws. It was also influenced by the programming languages Lisp, Simula 67 and
Smalltalk-72, as well as ideas for Petri Nets, capability-based systems and
packet switching. The advent of massive concurrency through client-cloud
computing and many-core computer architectures has galvanized interest in the
Actor model.
  Actor technology will see significant application for integrating all kinds
of digital information for individuals, groups, and organizations so their
information usefully links together. Information integration needs to make use
of the following information system principles:
  * Persistence. Information is collected and indexed.
  * Concurrency: Work proceeds interactively and concurrently, overlapping in
time.
  * Quasi-commutativity: Information can be used regardless of whether it
initiates new work or become relevant to ongoing work.
  * Sponsorship: Sponsors provide resources for computation, i.e., processing,
storage, and communications.
  * Pluralism: Information is heterogeneous, overlapping and often
inconsistent.
  * Provenance: The provenance of information is carefully tracked and recorded
  The Actor Model is intended to provide a foundation for inconsistency robust
information integration
