Exponential backoff is an algorithm that uses feedback to multiplicatively decrease the rate of some process, in order to gradually find an acceptable rate. It is often used in network congestion avoidance to help determine the correct sending rate. For example, a sender might send a message, set a timer to wait 0.25 seconds for an acknowledgment, and if none arrives, retransmit the message and wait 0.5 seconds an acknowledgment, etc.

See also

• Control theory