tidskeeping

Tidskeeping, commonly rendered as timekeeping, refers to the measurement, regulation, and recording of time and the synchronization of clocks and events. It encompasses the methods and devices used to assign timestamps, schedule activities, and coordinate actions across locations and systems.

Historically, timekeeping evolved from sundials and water clocks to mechanical clocks, pendulums, and marine chronometers. The adoption of standardized time scales began with the establishment of time zones in the 19th century and culminated in the development of international time standards such as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Atomic clocks, first in the mid-20th century, provided far greater stability and are now the basis for modern time scales.

Modern timekeeping relies on a hierarchy of devices and protocols. Primary time standards are atomic clocks that define International Atomic Time (TAI). UTC combines atomic time with leap seconds to stay aligned with the Earth's rotation. Time is distributed using networks and signals, including network time protocol (NTP), the precision time protocol (PTP), and satellite systems such as GPS and GLONASS.

Applications include computing, telecommunications, finance, transportation, science, and navigation. Accurate timestamps are essential for logging events, ensuring the integrity of data, and coordinating distributed systems and experiments.

Challenges include clock drift, environmental effects, and the need to manage leap seconds and relativistic corrections in high-precision systems. Security and resilience of time distribution networks are also important, as disruption to time sources can affect critical infrastructure.

Related topics include time standards such as UTC and TAI, and time-transfer protocols like NTP and PTP.