home.md

@@ -38,6 +38,25 @@ input:   This is just 1 abbreviated example of character stream input containing
 
 Read about the [Parabix Character Class Compilers](CharacterClassCompiler) for more information.
 
+## Programming Model: Kernels + Stream Sets = Programs
+
+Parabix programming is based on the concepts of computational kernels operating on sets of data streams.
+
+### Data Streams and Stream Sets
+
+Data streams are streams of data fields all of a given bit width.   If the bit width is N, the type
+of the field is said to be `iN`, an integer of N bits.   Bit streams are streams of type `i1`.
+
+Stream sets are sets of data streams all of the same type and in one-to-one correspondence.   An `8 x i1`
+stream set is a set of eight parallel bit streams.  All streams in the set are of the same length and are allocated and processed together by the underlying system.   
+
+### Kernels:  Stream Processing Functions
+
+Parabix programs are assembled as sequences of kernels operating on stream sets.   Kernels are generally
+just functions, taking stream sets as input and producing stream sets as output.
+
+
+
 ## Build and Test
 
 The Parabix project uses the CMake build system.   See the [CMake documentation at cmake.org] (https://cmake.org/documentation/) for details on CMake.