register allocation

    The phase of a compiler that
   determines which values will be placed in registers.
   Register allocation may be combined with register
   assignment.

   This problem can be shown to be isomorphic to graph
   colouring by relating values to nodes in the graph and
   registers to colours.  Values (nodes) which must be valid
   simultaneously are linked by edges and cannot be stored in the
   same register (coloured the same).

   See also register dancing and register spilling.

   [Preston Briggs, PhD thesis, Rice University, April 1992
   <"Register Allocation via Graph Coloring">].

   (2000-12-04)