ENGLISH
REFERENCE

idempotency

n.
C2 Proficiency idem·po·ten·cy Systems Design
Definition

n. a property of an action where doing it many times has the same result as doing it just once. For example, pressing a 'stop' button twice doesn't stop a machine more than pressing it once.

n. the property of certain operations in mathematics and computer science whereby they can be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application.


SIMPLE

The system design ensures idempotency for all payment requests.

CONTEXTUAL

In API design, idempotency is crucial because it allows a client to safely retry a request if the network connection fails.

COMPLEX

Ensuring the idempotency of database transactions prevents the accidental duplication of records during high-latency periods when users might refresh their browsers repeatedly.

Usage

Primarily used in technical contexts such as mathematics, logic, and RESTful API development.

Word family

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