AI engineering glossary · SQL databases
What is CAP theorem?
CAP theorem: A result stating that a distributed data store facing a network partition must choose between consistency (all nodes see the same data) and availability (every request gets an answer). It guides trade-offs in distributed databases.
CAP theorem: an example
During a network split, a system may refuse writes to stay consistent, or accept them and let copies diverge.
Related terms
More SQL databases terms
- Cardinality
- CASE expression
- Check constraint
- Clustered index
- COALESCE
- Column
- COMMIT and ROLLBACK
- Common table expression
Where you learn it
CAP theorem is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.