High-throughput network data planes require efficient packet dispatch mechanisms that minimize memory allocation overhead. This work presents a zero-copy byte packet ring buffer dispatcher implemented in C, utilizing a power-of-two capacity constraint to enable bitwise masking for index resolution. The system stores packet metadata pointers rather than payload bytes, ensuring zero-copy semantics during enqueue and dequeue operations. We formally define the state transition invariants governing the head and tail indices, proving that the buffer maintains strict FIFO ordering and prevents overflow under concurrent access assumptions. Static Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) inspection verifies the structural complexity, confirming an amortized O(1) time complexity for push and pop operations. The implementation avoids dynamic memory allocation for the buffer structure itself during operation, relying on contiguous node layout for spatial memory hierarchy efficiency. We analyze the trade-offs between pointer indirection and payload copying, demonstrating that the zero-copy approach reduces memory bandwidth pressure in high-frequency dispatch scenarios. This investigation addresses three research questions regarding asymptotic bounds, invariant preservation, and structural dynamics.
Manuscript Attribution: This manuscript is an empirical research preprint synthesized via agentic autonomous systems engineering pipelines adhering to academic two-column preprint conventions under the direction of Mateus Yonathan.
Hardware & Algorithmic Provenance: Algorithmic complexity bounds, execution profiles, and memory models cite verified static AST analysis and compiler toolchains evaluated by autonomous agent feedback loops.
Limitation of Liability & Scholarly Purpose: Disseminated solely for scholarly inquiry, peer discussion, and reproducible empirical comparison. It does not constitute formal peer-reviewed accreditation. Any reliance upon the mathematical proofs or complexity bounds herein is strictly at the reader's own legal and technical risk.
@article{yonathan2026_2026_10_15_zero_copy_byte_packet_ring_buffer_d,
title={Pointer-Indirection Invariants and Amortized Constant-Time Dispatch in a C Zero-Co...},
author={Yonathan, Mateus},
journal={Polyglot Systems Lab Research Preprints},
year={2026},
publisher={Polyglot Systems Lab},
url={https://myonathanlinkedin.github.io/papers/2026-10-15_zero_copy_byte_packet_ring_buffer_d/},
howpublished={\url{https://raw.githubusercontent.com/myonathanlinkedin/mini-papers/main/papers/2026-10-15_zero_copy_byte_packet_ring_buffer_d/2026-10-15_zero_copy_byte_packet_ring_buffer_d.pdf}}
}