Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
idempotency
Noun
/ɪˌdɛmpəˈtoʊnsi/
Definition
The property of certain operations in mathematics and computer science that allows an operation to be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application.
Examples
- In RESTful APIs, using the DELETE method is idempotent; deleting the same resource multiple times has the same effect as deleting it once.
- Idempotency is crucial in database transactions to ensure that applying the same operation won’t result in duplicates.
Meaning
In simpler terms, if you perform an operation once or many times, the outcome will be the same after the first application.
Synonyms
- Repetitive outcome
- Consistent result
