Rate limiting is the frontline defense of modern backend infrastructure. Without rate limiters, any misconfigured client script or malicious actor can exhaust server thread pools and downstream database connections within seconds.
1. Mathematical Tradeoffs of Rate Limiting Algorithms
| Algorithm | Burst Tolerance | Memory Overhead | Distributed Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Window Counter | Poor (2x burst at boundary) | Minimal (1 counter) | Low |
| Sliding Window Log | Precise | High (Logs all timestamps) | High memory cost |
| Token Bucket | Optimal (Controlled burst) | Minimal (2 fields) | Industry Standard |
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