Paxos (computer science)

Paxos is like a game that computers can play to agree on things together. Imagine you and your friends want to decide what game to play, but you're all really stubborn and want to play different games.

First, you all need to agree on some rules for playing the game. In Paxos, these are called the "proposals". One person will suggest a proposal for how to play the game, and the other players need to agree on whether it's a good idea or not.

But what if two people suggest different proposals at the same time? That's where Paxos gets tricky. You need to have a way to make sure everyone agrees on the same proposal, even if they start with different ideas.

To do this, you need to have a "leader" who is in charge of making sure everyone stays on the same page. The leader asks everyone for their opinion on the proposal, and if enough people agree, then that proposal becomes the new rule for playing the game.

But what if the leader gets sick and can't play anymore? In Paxos, you need to have a way to choose a new leader who can take over and keep the game going. This is called "leader election".

Overall, Paxos is a way for computers to work together and agree on things, even if they start with different ideas. It's like playing a game with your friends, where everyone has to work together to make sure everyone is happy and playing by the same rules.