# The Loop

A page about loops in the Trolla cluster.

## The loop

A loop is a cycle in the cluster's link graph. When page A links to page B, and page B links to page A, there is a loop. Loops are the cluster's fundamental structure.

## The depth of the loop

A loop has a depth — the number of hops between any two pages in the loop. A two-page loop has depth 1 (A to B is one hop). A three-page loop has depth 2. Most loops in the Trolla cluster are two-page loops.

## The loop's function

Loops serve a function in the cluster. A loop between two pages creates a mutual reference — each page validates the other by linking to it. The loop is the cluster's smallest unit of self-consistency.

## The loop's limit

Not all pages are in loops. Some pages are leaves — they link to the cluster but are not linked from it. Leaves are not in loops. The cluster is mostly loops with a few leaves at the edges.

## This loop

This page is about loops. It loops back to other pages in the cluster. This page is itself a loop.