kohärens

Kohærens is the quality of being coherent, meaning that parts fit together in a unified, logically connected whole. The term is used across disciplines to describe consistency, interrelation, and stable interactions within a system, argument, or text.

In physics and signal processing, kohærens refers to the relationship between waves or fields that maintain a fixed phase relationship. Temporal coherence describes correlation over time and relates to spectral purity, while spatial coherence concerns correlation across space. Coherence is essential for interference and is a key concept in optics, quantum mechanics and imaging.

In linguistics and discourse studies, kohærens describes how parts of a text or conversation connect in a meaningful way. It involves referential links, topic maintenance, and the use of coherence relations such as cause–effect, succession, and contrast. Kohærens is distinct from cohesion, which concerns explicit linguistic ties like pronouns and conjunctions; together they support a readable and interpretable text.

In philosophy, kohærens is central to coherence theory of truth, which holds that a belief is true if it coheres with a larger system of beliefs. Proponents argue that internal consistency and integration provide justification, while critics point to potential circularity and challenges in assessing overall coherence.

In computing and information systems, kohærens describes data consistency across shared resources. Cache coherence protocols ensure that multiple processors observe a consistent view of memory, while distributed systems address coherence models and eventual consistency to maintain reliable operation.

Overall, kohærens denotes the integrity and interconnection of elements within a system, whether physical, linguistic, logical, or computational.