Dag
A Dag (Directed Acyclic Graph) is a mathematical and computational concept representing a finite directed graph with no directed cycles, meaning it has a topological ordering where edges point in one direction without loops. In computing, Dags are widely used to model dependencies, workflows, and data processing pipelines, such as in task scheduling, data lineage, and machine learning frameworks. They enable efficient execution by ensuring tasks are processed in a sequence that respects all dependencies without deadlocks.
Developers should learn about Dags when designing systems that involve task orchestration, dependency management, or data flow, such as in workflow engines (e.g., Apache Airflow), build tools (e.g., Make), or distributed computing frameworks. They are essential for optimizing performance and reliability in scenarios like ETL pipelines, CI/CD processes, and graph-based algorithms, as Dags prevent circular dependencies and allow for parallel execution where possible.