The epoch is a reference point in time used in computing to represent dates and times as a single number. Specifically, it is often defined as the number of seconds that have elapsed since a specific date and time, typically:
- Unix Epoch: January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC. This is the most common epoch used in Unix-like operating systems.
In programming and data storage, using the epoch allows for easier manipulation and comparison of dates and times, as they can be represented as simple integers (the number of seconds or days since the epoch). This approach simplifies calculations, such as determining the difference between two dates or sorting dates in chronological order.
Different systems may use different epochs, but the Unix epoch is widely adopted in many programming languages and systems.
