$\bigcup_{\p \in \allpatches} \set H^{\pn} \cup \set H^{\py}$.
All the input commits to the update algorithm. (See below.)
+\item[ $\set H^{\pc^{_=/-}}$ ]
+
+The existing head commit(s) $\set H$ of the branch $\pc^{+/-}$.
+These are the heads which will be merged and used in this update.
+This will include the current local and remote git refs, as desired.
+Obtained from the function $h$ (see below).
+
%\item[ $\set E_{\pc}$ ]
%$ \bigcup_i \pendsof{S_{\pc,i}}{\pc} $.
%All the ends of $\pc$ in the sources.
\item[ $h : \pc^{+/-} \mapsto \set H^{\pc^{+/-}}$ ]
Function for getting the existing heads $\set H$ of the branch $\pc^{+/-}$.
-These are the heads which will be merged and used in this update.
-This will include the current local and remote git refs, as desired.
+
+\item[ $w : \pc^{+/-} \mapsto \set W_0^{\pc^{+/-}}$ ]
+
+Function for getting the existing local head of the branch
+$\pc^{+/-}$. I.e., the current value of the branch ref for $\pc^{+/-}$.
+$W_0^{\pc^{+/-}} \in \set H$.
\item[ $g : \pc, \Gamma \mapsto \Gamma'$ ]
Function to allow explicit adjustment of the direct dependencies
all the appropriate commits (and the appropriate other patches),
as generated by the Traversal phase of the update algorithm.
-\end{basedescript}
+\item[ $\allreach$ ]
+The set of all reachable commits.
+
+A reachable commit is one we might refer to explicitly in any of these
+algorithms, and any ancestor of such a commit. We explicitly
+enumerate all of the input commits ($\allsrcs$), so the reachable
+commits are originally the input commits and their ancestors.
+$\allreach$ varies over time as we generate more commits. Each
+commit we generate will have only reachable commits as ancestors, so
+generating a new commit (only) adds that new commit to $\allreach$.
+
+\item[ $\allreachof{\pn}$, $\allreachof{\py}$ ]
+The sets of reachable commits at the point where we have just generated
+$\tippn$ or $\tippy$, i.e. just after $\alg{Merge-Base}(\p)$ or
+$\alg{Recreate-Base}(\p)$, or $\alg{Merge-Tip}(\p)$, respectively.
+
+\end{basedescript}