In hockey, the slot is the space between the two face-off circles in the offensive zone. In other contexts, the slot may refer to a narrow opening for receiving something. It may also refer to a position or sequence in a process, such as an assignment or job opening. Slots are also found on aircraft wings, and can improve airflow.
In scheduling, it’s a keyway
The allocation of take-off and landing slots in airports is governed by IATA World Scheduling Guidelines. These guidelines prioritize requests for slots according to their hierarchy and historic usage rights. Some studies have used multi-objective programming (MPP) models to study the trade-offs among several objectives when allocating slots.
The allocation of time slots is a critical component of the HARQ scheduling process. There are two main methods of scheduling: interleaving and single cycle scheduling. Interleaving scheduling helps to minimize the number of idle slots, while single cycle scheduling is more likely to lead to large amounts of idle time.
It’s a slit in a vending machine
The slot on a vending machine must be able to accommodate the items that you’re placing into it. Some items are narrower than others, so they’ll need spacers in order to fit. You’ll also need spacers if you’re placing pastries or slick items like chips. This is because the bottom of these items will cross the coil curve diagonally. Incorrect coils and spacing are often the cause of vending machine problems.
The coin slot is a mechanical part of a vending machine that allows you to insert coins or tokens. Coins are usually inserted into the coin slot to purchase a snack or drink. The machine also has a sorting and inspection device that identifies the product that is inserted.