Abstract Algorithms
Abstract Algorithms

Follow
Abstract Algorithms
Home

Topic

lost update

1 article

Lost Update Explained: When Two Writes Become One

Lost Update Explained: When Two Writes Become One

TLDR: A lost update occurs when two concurrent read-modify-write transactions both read the same committed value, both compute a new value from it, and both write back — with the second write silently

Apr 11, 2026•38 min read

Abstract Algorithms · © 2026 · Engineering learning lab