lastiteration

Lastiteration is a term in computer science and mathematics that refers to the final iteration of an iterative process. It is not a formal mathematical symbol, but a descriptive label used in documentation, algorithms, and software to indicate the last step performed before termination or convergence.

In practice, lastiteration is often realized as a variable that records the index or count of the final loop iteration. For a loop that runs up to a maximum of maxIter iterations or until a convergence criterion is met, lastiteration equals the iteration number at which termination occurred. If termination is due to convergence, lastiteration stores that convergent step; if due to the max limit, it stores maxIter.

Design notes: loop constructs may treat the end condition differently, so lastiteration can differ from the final loop counter depending on whether the loop uses inclusive or exclusive end conditions. Updating lastiteration at the end of each iteration or just before a break is a common pattern.

Applications: numerical solvers, optimization routines, and simulations use lastiteration to report convergence behavior, compare performance, or provide debugging information. It helps diagnose whether termination was timely or premature.

Alternative terms: final_iteration or last_step. The exact meaning should be documented to avoid ambiguity in code or user interfaces. See also iteration, loop, convergence criteria, max iterations, and early stopping.