paralel

Paralel is an adjective and noun used in several languages, notably Turkish, to describe objects or concepts that run side by side at a constant distance and never meet. In geometry and everyday mathematics, parallel lines lie in the same plane and do not intersect, and parallel planes remain the same distance apart. The concept extends to higher dimensions and to curves and subspaces in various branches of geometry and topology, where a notion of parallelism can be generalized by direction or by parallel transport.

In non-mathematical usage, paralel is common in Turkish and other languages to express similarity or correspondence, yielding phrases such as parallel developments, parallel evolution, or parallel lines as metaphors for aligned or analogous situations. The term also appears in popular culture to denote hypothetical universes that exist alongside our own, as in paralel evren or parallel universe.

In computing and information technology, paralel describes performing multiple tasks simultaneously, as in parallel processing, parallel computing, and parallel algorithms. This usage highlights concurrent execution and the pursuit of efficiency through dividing work.

Etymology: the word derives from late Latin parallelus, from Greek parallēlos, and entered many European languages through French or directly from Latin. In Turkish, paralel is the standard spelling for the parallel concept, with minor variations in other languages.