Distributed systems are also referred to as what type of system?

Distributed systems are often referred to as loosely coupled systems because the components within the system operate independently from one another while still being able to communicate and collaborate to perform tasks. This independence allows for greater flexibility and scalability, as each component can be managed, updated, or replaced without significantly affecting the overall system.

In a loosely coupled system, components may be located on different machines or networks, and they communicate over various types of connections, such as network protocols. This contrasts with closely coupled systems, where components are tightly interlinked, sharing memory and resources more directly, leading to a more dependent architecture.

The terms "centralized system" and "P2P (peer-to-peer) system" refer to different system architectures. Centralized systems have a single point of control, while peer-to-peer systems focus on shared resource management among equal peers, rather than relying on a central authority. Hence, in the context of distributed systems, the term loosely coupled provides an accurate depiction of the structure and interactions among its components.