Unbounded Message Delays

Definition ∞ Unbounded message delays describe a characteristic of a communication network where there is no guaranteed upper limit on the time it takes for a message to be transmitted and received between any two participants. This means messages can arrive at arbitrary, unpredictable times, or even be lost indefinitely. Such conditions pose significant challenges for coordinating distributed systems. It introduces considerable uncertainty into network operations.
Context ∞ This condition presents a substantial challenge for achieving consensus and ensuring liveness in certain distributed systems, including some blockchain architectures. Unbounded message delays complicate the coordination of nodes, making it difficult to confirm transaction finality and maintain a consistent network state. News often discusses research into asynchronous consensus protocols designed to operate effectively under these adverse network conditions. Overcoming this limitation is key for robust decentralized applications.