Resolving

Resolving, derived from the verb resolve, refers to the act of finding a solution to a problem, settling a dispute, or clarifying ambiguity. In general use, to resolve something is to determine a course of action or to make a decision that ends doubt or confusion.

In conflict resolution, parties seek a mutually acceptable agreement or settlement. Methods include negotiation, mediation, and arbitration, with processes that define issues, generate options, evaluate alternatives, and implement a final agreement. The aim is to reduce hostility and produce lasting, enforceable outcomes.

In information technology and networking, resolving often describes domain name resolution, the process of translating a human-readable domain name into an IP address. This involves a workflow among recursive resolvers, root servers, top-level domain servers, and authoritative servers, with caching to improve efficiency. Security mechanisms such as DNSSEC seek to protect the integrity of this process.

In optics and imaging, resolution is the ability to distinguish closely spaced features. Higher resolution means finer detail. It is limited by factors such as wavelength and numerical aperture; diffraction imposes a theoretical bound, while real-world performance depends on instrument quality, sampling, and data processing.

In music, resolution refers to the move from a dissonant sonority to a consonant one, often occurring at a cadence and providing a sense of closure. The term also appears in other disciplines to denote clarity, definiteness, or the settling of a question.