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Synchronous Systems

Definition

Synchronous systems are distributed computing environments where all participating nodes operate with a synchronized clock and predictable message delivery times. In such systems, there are known upper bounds on message transmission delays and processing times, allowing for deterministic behavior and simpler consensus protocol design. This contrasts with asynchronous systems, where message delays are unbounded, posing greater challenges for achieving agreement. While offering performance advantages, pure synchronous models are rarely achieved in large-scale, open blockchain networks.