Linearizability
Linearizability is a consistency model in distributed systems that ensures operations on shared objects appear to occur instantaneously at a single point in time between their invocation and response. It provides a strong guarantee that concurrent operations behave as if they were executed in some sequential order consistent with real-time ordering. This makes it a key correctness condition for concurrent and distributed algorithms, often used to reason about the behavior of data structures and services.
Developers should learn linearizability when designing or implementing systems that require strong consistency guarantees, such as distributed databases, coordination services, or concurrent data structures where correctness depends on precise ordering of operations. It is essential for use cases like financial transactions, leader election, or any scenario where operations must appear atomic and immediately visible to all participants, ensuring predictable behavior in the face of concurrency.