package edu.rice.hj.example.comp322.assignments.hw2;

/**
 * This file contains the definition of the GeneralizedReduceApp interface.
 * Any parallel reduction implementation (such as SumReduction) must implement
 * this interface.
 * <p>
 * Do not alter this file for your homework submission.
 *
 * @author Vivek Sarkar (vsarkar@rice.edu)
 */
public interface GeneralizedReduceApp<T> {

    /**
     * return identity element for clients reduction operation
     *
     * @return a T object.
     */
    T init();

    /**
     * perform associative operation on left and right operands, in accordance with the
     * clients reduction operation, and return the result
     *
     * @param left  a T object.
     * @param right a T object.
     * @return a T object.
     */
    T combine(T left, T right);
}