Great thread. If you have 1 hour to get started, I recommend opening Engineering a Compiler and studying Static Single-Assignment (SSA) from ch 9.3.

The book is famous for its SSA treatment. Chapters 1-8 are not required to understand SSA. This allows you to walk away with a clear win. Refer to 9.2 if you're struggling with dominance + liveness.

http://www.r-5.org/files/books/computers/compilers/writing/K...