Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs)
Summary: Data structures that can be concurrently edited by multiple users and automatically resolve conflicts in a sensible and consistent way.
Sources: chapter5
Last updated: 2026-04-15
Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) are a family of data structures (such as sets, maps, counters, etc.) that are designed to be edited by multiple users without a central coordinator. They automatically resolve conflicts in a way that ensures all replicas eventually arrive at the same state (source: chapter5, p. 174).
Examples and Use Cases
- Sets and Maps: CRDTs can be used to implement shared data structures that allow items to be added or removed concurrently.
- Collaborative Editing: CRDTs are often used in real-time collaborative applications like Etherpad or Google Docs (source: chapter5, p. 174).
- Databases: Some databases like Riak 2.0 have built-in support for CRDTs to help developers handle conflict resolution automatically (source: chapter5, p. 174).