Multiplex

Multiplex is a term used in various disciplines to denote the combination or support of multiple elements within a single medium or process. It originates from the Latin multiplex, meaning “many fold” or “many times over,” and has specialized meanings in entertainment, telecommunications, computing, and biology.

In cinema, a multiplex refers to a movie theater complex containing multiple screening rooms. This layout allows audiences to choose among several films simultaneously and has become a standard format since the late 20th century, often featuring shared lobbies, concessions, and parking.

In telecommunications and data transmission, multiplexing is a method of combining several signals for transmission over a common medium, with later separation at the destination. Common types include time-division multiplexing (TDM), which assigns time slots to different signals; frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), which allocates distinct frequency bands; and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) used in fiber optics, which uses different light wavelengths. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is a related digital technique widely used in broadband systems.

In computing and networking, multiplexing describes the aggregation of multiple data streams into one, enabling efficient use of a single channel, link, or interface. In biology and biochemistry, multiplexing refers to performing multiple analyses in parallel, such as multiplex PCR or multiplex immunoassays, which detect several targets in a single reaction.