diff --git a/src/metagraph_impl/compute.jl b/src/metagraph_impl/compute.jl
index 5f362c9..5cb0590 100644
--- a/src/metagraph_impl/compute.jl
+++ b/src/metagraph_impl/compute.jl
@@ -1,17 +1,32 @@
 struct ComputeTask_BaseState <: AbstractComputeTask end         # calculate the base state of an external particle
 struct ComputeTask_Propagator <: AbstractComputeTask end        # calculate the propagator term of a virtual particle
 struct ComputeTask_Pair <: AbstractComputeTask end              # from a pair of virtual particle currents, calculate the product
-struct ComputeTask_CollectPairs <: AbstractComputeTask end      # for a list of virtual particle current pair products and a propagator, sum and propagate
+struct ComputeTask_CollectPairs <: AbstractComputeTask end      # for a list of virtual particle current pair products, sum
+struct ComputeTask_PropagatePairs <: AbstractComputeTask end    # for the result of a CollectPairs compute task and a propagator, propagate the sum
 struct ComputeTask_Triple <: AbstractComputeTask end            # from a triple of virtual particle currents, calculate the diagram result
 struct ComputeTask_CollectTriples <: AbstractComputeTask end    # sum over triples results and 
 
+# import compute so we don't have to repeat it all the time
+import MetagraphOptimization.compute
+
 struct BaseStateInput{PS_T<:AbstractParticleStateful,SPIN_POL_T<:AbstractSpinOrPolarization}
     particle::PS_T
     spin_pol::SPIN_POL_T
 end
 
-function MetagraphOptimization.compute(::ComputeTask_BaseState, input::BaseStateInput{PS,SPIN_POL}) where {PS,SPIN_POL}
-    return QEDbase.base_state(particle_species(input.particle), particle_direction(input.particle), momentum(input.particle), input.spin_pol)
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_BaseState, input::BaseStateInput{PS,SPIN_POL}
+) where {PS,SPIN_POL}
+    return Propagated( # "propagated" because it goes directly into the next pair
+        input.particle,
+        QEDbase.base_state(
+            particle_species(input.particle),
+            particle_direction(input.particle),
+            momentum(input.particle),
+            input.spin_pol,
+        ),
+        # bispinor, adjointbispinor, or lorentzvector
+    )
 end
 
 struct PropagatorInput{VP_T<:VirtualParticle,PSP_T<:AbstractPhaseSpacePoint}
@@ -19,7 +34,9 @@ struct PropagatorInput{VP_T<:VirtualParticle,PSP_T<:AbstractPhaseSpacePoint}
     psp::PSP_T
 end
 
-function MetagraphOptimization.compute(::ComputeTask_Propagator, input::PropagatorInput{VP_T,PSP_T}) where {VP_T,PSP_T}
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_Propagator, input::PropagatorInput{VP_T,PSP_T}
+) where {VP_T,PSP_T}
     vp_mom = zero(typeof(momentum(input.psp, Incoming(), 1)))
     for i in eachindex(in_contributions(input.vp))
         if in_contributions(input.vp)[i]
@@ -33,6 +50,87 @@ function MetagraphOptimization.compute(::ComputeTask_Propagator, input::Propagat
     end
 
     vp_species = particle_species(input.vp)
-    vp_mass = mass(vp_species)
     return QEDbase.propagator(vp_species, vp_mom)
+    # diracmatrix or scalar number
 end
+
+struct Unpropagated{PARTICLE_T<:AbstractParticleType,VALUE_T}
+    particle::PARTICLE_T
+    value::VALUE_T
+end
+
+struct Propagated{PARTICLE_T<:AbstractParticleType,VALUE_T}
+    particle::PARTICLE_T
+    value::VALUE_T
+end
+
+# maybe add the γ matrix term here too?
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_Pair, electron::Propagated{Electron,V1}, positron::Propagated{Positron,V2}
+) where {V1,V2}
+    return Unpropagated(Photon(), positron.value * electron.value)  # fermion - antifermion -> photon
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_Pair, positron::Propagated{Positron,V1}, electron::Propagated{Electron,V2}
+) where {V1,V2}
+    return Unpropagated(Photon(), positron.value * electron.value)  # antifermion - fermion -> photon
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_Pair, photon::Propagated{Photon,V1}, fermion::Propagated{F,V2}
+) where {F<:FermionLike,V1,V2}
+    return Unpropagated(invert(fermion.particle), fermion.value * photon.value) # (anti-)fermion - photon -> (anti-)fermion
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_Pair, fermion::Propagated{F,V2}, photon::Propagated{Photon,V1}
+) where {F<:FermionLike,V1,V2}
+    return Unpropagated(invert(fermion.particle), fermion.value * photon.value) # photon - (anti-)fermion -> (anti-)fermion
+end
+
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_PropagatePairs, left::PROP_V, right::Unpropagated{P,VAL}
+) where {PROP_V,P<:AbstractParticleType,VAL}
+    return Propagated(right.particle, right.value * left.value)
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_PropagatePairs, left::Unpropagated{P,VAL}, right::PROP_V
+) where {PROP_V,P<:AbstractParticleType,VAL}
+    return Propagated(left.particle, left.value * right.value)
+end
+
+@inline function compute(
+    ::ComputeTask_Triple,
+    photon::Propagated{Photon,V1},
+    electron::Propagated{Electron,V2},
+    positron::Propagated{Positron,V3},
+) where {V1,V2,V3}
+    return positron.value * photon.value * electron.input
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    c::ComputeTask_Triple,
+    photon::Propagated{Photon,V1},
+    positron::Propagated{Positron,V2},
+    electron::Propagated{Electron,V3},
+) where {V1,V2,V3}
+    return compute(c, photon, electron, positron)
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    c::ComputeTask_Triple,
+    f1::Propagated{F1,V1},
+    f2::Propagated{F2,V2},
+    photon::Propagated{Photon,V3},
+) where {V1,V2,V3,F1<:FermionLike,F2<:FermionLike}
+    return compute(c, photon, f1, f2)
+end
+@inline function compute(
+    c::ComputeTask_Triple,
+    f1::Propagated{F1,V1},
+    photon::Propagated{Photon,V2},
+    f2::Propagated{F2,V3},
+) where {V1,V2,V3,F1<:FermionLike,F2<:FermionLike}
+    return compute(c, photon, f1, f2)
+end
+
+# this compiles in a reasonable amount of time for up to about 1e4 parameters
+# use a summation algorithm with more accuracy and/or parallelization
+@inline compute(::ComputeTask_CollectPairs, args::Vararg{N,T}) where {N,T} = sum(args)
+@inline compute(::ComputeTask_CollectTriples, args::Vararg{N,T}) where {N,T} = sum(args)