Are "interface" and "catalyst" the same thing? Something got me thinking about catalysts again, and it struck me that the definition of catalyst and the definition of interface are deeply intertwined if not identical. An interface is a point of interaction between two or more distinct things (systems, processes, substances, chemicals, particles, etc.). A catalyst is such a point of interaction (i.e., reaction) that is not changed or consumed by the interaction. It is not an input (reactant) or output (product) of the interaction. It is the "fixed point" in the interaction.
Note that discussions of catalysts and catalysis speak of "providing a lower energy pathway between the reactants and the products." (See catalysis. Emphasis mine.) Metaphors such as pathways, channels, transports, mediums, abound in talk of both catalysts and interfaces.
The interesting insight from this generalization of catalyst/interface is that one can think of the quality of an interface in terms of how much it lowers the energy pathway (i.e., lowers the activation energy) between provider and consumer. Thus, an interesting avenue to pursue is to compare the concepts of loose coupling and accelerating interaction. Another interesting avenue to pursue is to see if the catalysis metaphor can shed light on the notion of binding an interface to its implementation.
