The word "Erlang" is a programming language named after Danish mathematician and engineer Agner Krarup Erlang. Its correct pronunciation is /ˈɛːrlæŋ/, which is similar to "air-lang". To break it down further, the first syllable, "er", is pronounced like the word "air", and the second syllable, "lang", sounds like "long". The IPA phonetic transcription system is used to clarify the pronunciation, which can be tricky for non-native English speakers. With this guide, anyone can confidently say "Erlang" in the proper way.
Erlang is a term with multiple meanings depending on the context. In computer programming, Erlang refers to a functional programming language that is primarily used in the telecommunications industry for creating highly scalable and fault-tolerant systems. Named after the Danish mathematician and engineer Agner Krarup Erlang, the language was developed by Ericsson to handle the enormous telecommunications network traffic.
Erlang is known for its concurrency model and built-in support for distributed computing, making it well-suited for developing systems that require high availability and fault tolerance. Its key features include lightweight processes (known as "actors") that communicate with each other via message passing, as well as built-in mechanisms for error handling, code hot-swapping, and process isolation.
Outside of the programming domain, Erlang is also used as a unit of telecommunications traffic measurement. It represents the number of call arrivals or simultaneous ongoing calls in a telecommunications system during a specific period. The Erlang unit helps in analyzing network traffic patterns, dimensioning system capacities, and optimizing call center staffing.
Overall, Erlang can refer to a powerful programming language used for building fault-tolerant systems, or a unit of measurement for telecommunications traffic.
The word "Erlang" has its origins in the field of computer programming and computer science rather than having a traditional etymology. It is named after Danish mathematician and engineer A.P. Erlang, who made significant contributions to the field of telecommunications in the early 20th century. Erlang, the programming language, was developed by Ericsson, a Swedish telecommunications company, in the late 1980s for the purpose of creating reliable and efficient telecommunication systems. The language was named after A.P. Erlang to honor his work and acknowledge his influence on the field.