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The first English use of the word "data" is from the 1640s. The word "data" was first used to mean "transmissible and storable computer information" in 1946. The expression "data processing" was first used in 1954. [6] When "data" is used more generally as a synonym for "information", it is treated as a mass noun in singular form.
Computer data storage, often called storage, is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media that are used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers. [62]: 15–16 merge sort. Also mergesort. An efficient, general-purpose, comparison-based sorting algorithm.
In modern (post-1960) computer systems, all data is digital. Data exists in three states: data at rest, data in transit and data in use. Data within a computer, in most cases, moves as parallel data. Data moving to or from a computer, in most cases, moves as serial data.
A 2018 definition states "Big data is where parallel computing tools are needed to handle data", and notes, "This represents a distinct and clearly defined change in the computer science used, via parallel programming theories, and losses of some of the guarantees and capabilities made by Codd's relational model." [29]
The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones. Several products or services within an economy are associated with information technology, including computer hardware , software , electronics, semiconductors ...
Information technology (IT) is the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data, [58] often in the context of a business or other enterprise. [59] The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but also encompasses other information distribution ...
The University of Washington uses this term to refer to social computing. [5] In some countries, this term is associated with natural computation and neural computation. [1] [11] The Government of Canada uses the term to refer to operational units offering network and computer services to the various departments. [12]
The term dictionary is also used to refer to an electronic vocabulary or lexicon as used for example in spelling checkers. If dictionaries are arranged in a subtype-supertype hierarchy of concepts (or terms) then it is called a taxonomy. If it also contains other relations between the concepts, then it is called an ontology. Search engines may ...