erlang

/ ˈɜːlæŋ /

noun

1. a unit of traffic intensity in a telephone system equal to the intensity for a specific period when the average number of simultaneous calls is unity e

Word History and Origins

Origin of erlang¹

C20: named after A. K. Erlang (1878–1929), Danish mathematician

Example Sentences

Our lethargic lead is fallen hero Erlang Shen, who used to be a big deal but now leads a group of scrappy bounty hunters on a flying wooden boat that seems in continual danger of running out of fuel.

From Los Angeles Times

Erlang developed the first mathematical models of how lines worked in the early 20th century to complement a new device at the time: the telephone.

From Washington Post

Erlang's work helped the phone company figure out how many phone lines and operators the old-fashioned central switchboard needed to keep customers from waiting too long.

From Washington Post

Computer programmers use a variety of “languages” to create websites and apps—they’re called Ruby on Rails, Python, Erlang, C+, Basic, and so on.

From Forbes

It’s on the seventh floor of Erlang House, a dilapidated 1960s office block in London.

From New York Times