Parity

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In information technology, parity is a simple method used for error detection in data transmission or storage. It involves adding an extra bit, known as a parity bit, to a block of data. The value of this parity bit (either 0 or 1) is determined by the number of ‘1’s in the data block. There are two main types: even parity and odd parity.

With even parity, the parity bit is set to 0 if the number of ‘1’s in the data block is already even, and it’s set to 1 if the number of ‘1’s is odd, making the total count of ‘1’s (including the parity bit) even. Conversely, with odd parity, the parity bit is set to ensure the total count of ‘1’s is odd. When the data is received or retrieved, the parity is recalculated. If the newly calculated parity doesn’t match the received parity bit, it indicates that an error has occurred during transmission or storage. While parity can detect single-bit errors, it cannot correct them, nor can it reliably detect errors involving multiple bits. It’s a basic but foundational concept in ensuring data integrity.

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