Idempotence
/ˌaɪdɛmˈpoʊtəns/i·dem·po·tencenoun
Definition
1.[in computing] the property of an operation whose repeated application produces the same result as a single application, so a retry cannot cause additional change.
Because the endpoint has idempotence, the client can safely retry after a timeout.
Formal statement
f(f(x)) = f(x)Applying the operation twice leaves the state it produced untouched.
Etymology
From Latin idem 'the same' plus potens 'having power'. Coined by Benjamin Peirce in 1870 for algebraic elements unchanged by self-multiplication; carried into computing for operations safe to retry.
Synonyms
- retry-safesense 1 · Near
Antonyms
- stateful mutationsense 1 · Relational
References
- Fielding, R. (2000). Architectural Styles and the Design of Network-based Software Architectures, ch. 5.Doctoral dissertation, UC Irvine.