state machine

A state machine is a way to model a system's behavior based on different conditions or "states." It defines specific states the system can be in, like "idle" or "processing," and rules for transitioning from one state to another, often triggered by events or inputs. For example, a turnstile at a subway station has states like "locked" and "unlocked," changing states when coins are inserted or a person pushes the door. State machines help design and understand complex systems by clearly mapping out how they respond over time to various inputs.