Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types
Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) are data structures designed for distributed systems that allow multiple replicas to be updated independently and concurrently without requiring coordination, while ensuring eventual consistency. They guarantee that all replicas will converge to the same state when updates are applied, even in the presence of network partitions or delays. CRDTs achieve this through mathematical properties like commutativity, associativity, and idempotence in their operations.
Developers should learn and use CRDTs when building distributed applications that require high availability and low latency, such as collaborative editing tools (e.g., Google Docs), real-time multiplayer games, or decentralized databases. They are particularly valuable in scenarios where network connectivity is unreliable, as they allow operations to proceed offline and sync later without conflicts, eliminating the need for complex conflict resolution logic.