Item selection apparatus

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one of:
• a processor and a memory
• means for selecting two most preferred items from a set of items having associated ranking information indicative of an order of preference for the set of items, said means for selecting comprising at least one selection node circuit means, each selection node circuit means to receive as inputs an indication of a first pair of items and a second pair of items among the set of items, and comprising:
• means for performing a first selection, to select as a first selected item a most preferred one of:
• a most preferred item of the first pair of items, and
• a least preferred item of the second pair, and
• means for performing a second selection, to select as a second selected item a most preferred one of:
• a least preferred item of the first pair, and
• a most preferred item of the second pair;
• wherein the means for performing a first selection is configured to select the first selected item in parallel with the means for performing a second selection selecting the second selected item.

A method for selecting two most preferred items from a set of items having ranking information indicative of an order of preference for the set of items, said method comprising:

• processing the set of items using at least one selection node circuit in an apparatus comprising at least one of:
• a processor and a memory:
• each selection node circuit receiving as inputs an indication of a first pair of items and a second pair of items among the set of items, and each selection node circuit performing:
• selecting as a first selected item a most preferred one of:
• a most preferred item of the first pair, and
• a least preferred item of the second pair, and
• selecting as a second selected item a most preferred one of:
• a least preferred item of the first pair, and
• a most preferred item of the second pair;
• wherein the first selected item and the second selected item are selected in parallel.