state machine
compound.compound. a model used in computer science to describe how a system works by moving between different fixed conditions. It shows how a system changes from one 'state' to another when something happens.
compound. a mathematical model of computation that exists in exactly one of a finite number of states at any given time. Transitions between states occur in response to external inputs, defining the logic of complex systems.
A simple state machine controls the traffic lights.
The developer used a state machine to manage the character's transitions between walking, jumping, and falling in the game.
By implementing a formal state machine, the engineering team ensured that the software could never enter an invalid configuration, as every possible transition was explicitly defined and validated.
A compound formed from the noun state, denoting a particular condition or stage, and machine, referring to a device or conceptual apparatus. The term emerged from mid-twentieth-century mathematical logic and automata theory to describe abstract computational models.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in the context of software engineering, digital logic, and mathematics.
Last updated July 22, 2026