Abstract: A method for routing an information packet towards an output port of a telecommunication router comprising N output ports, said router receiving incoming packets comprising a destination address defined by four address elements. The method successively comprises: looking up a first-level table from said first address element of said information packet; looking up a second-level table from said first and second address elements of said packet; searching, with linear or dichotomizing search, a third-level table allowing a third level of search, from said third address element of said packet; searching, with linear or dichotomizing search, a fourth-level table from said fourth address element of said packet. In this way the size of the routing table can be reduced, while still allowing fast processing of incoming packets. The invention also provides a router allowing easy integration in a VLSI circuit.

Abstract: In order to dry finely divided, expandable styrene polymers having a particle size of from 0.02 to 3 mm, the bead polymers, in the form of a slurry in water, are freed from the majority of the water and subsequently exposed to a gaseous medium. The drying is carried out in two steps, by jointly conveying the bead polymer and a first gas stream, warmed to from about 45.degree. to 120.degree. C., through a flow dryer, the ratio between the gas and the bead polymer being from 2 to 40 kg/kg, separating the bead polymer from the first gas stream, immediately transferring the bead polymer into a fluidized bed and treating the polymer with a second gas stream at from about 0.degree. to 75.degree. C. Styrene polymers obtained in this way are free-flowing and can be foamed without difficulty in commercially available prefoaming units. They are used, inter alia, in the construction industry, for example as aggregate for insulation plaster.