Persistence

Persistence is the continued or steadfast effort to overcome obstacles toward a goal. It is a quality associated with perseverance, determination, and tenacity. In everyday language it is praised as a virtue, and in psychology it is studied as a trait that contributes to goal attainment, alongside motivation and self-regulation. Persistence can be domain-specific or generalized across tasks, and may be influenced by feedback, perceived progress, and social support.

In computing, persistence refers to the ability of data to outlive the process that creates it. A persistent state is stored in durable storage such as databases, file systems, or other non-volatile media, ensuring information remains after shutdown or crashes. The term is used to describe layers or mechanisms that separate volatile memory from long-term storage, including database management systems, object-relational mappers, and storage services.

In environmental science and chemistry, persistence indicates how long a substance remains active or available in an environment before degradation. Persistent substances resist breakdown by biological, chemical, or photolytic processes and may be subject to regulatory assessment of persistence and bioaccumulation. Persistence is often quantified by half-life in air, water, or soil and can relate to pollutants such as pesticides or industrial chemicals.