Page 394, Exercise 1

The assumption is that we will developing buffering formulas. This is a fairly complex task since as the text states: the computing time is a function of the "disk parameters and the amount of internal memory." Chapter 4 of Design of Computer Data Files by Owen Hanswer contains a good summary of buffering techniques. Another excellent source is The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 2 Section 5.4.6 by Donald Knuth.