A serial number is a
unique identifier
A unique identifier (UID) is an identifier that is guaranteed to be unique among all identifiers used for those objects and for a specific purpose. The concept was formalized early in the development of computer science and information systems ...
assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it.
Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other
typographical symbol
Typographical symbols and punctuation marks are marks and symbols used in typography with a variety of purposes such as to help with legibility and accessibility, or to identify special cases. This list gives those most commonly encountered with L ...
s, or may consist entirely of a
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
string.
Applications of serial numbering
![NumeroPistola](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/NumeroPistola.JPG)
Serial numbers identify otherwise identical individual units, thereby serving various practical uses. Serial numbers are a deterrent against theft and counterfeit products, as they can be recorded, and stolen or otherwise irregular goods can be identified.
Banknote
A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand.
Banknotes were originally issued ...
s and other transferable documents of value bear serial numbers to assist in preventing
counterfeiting and tracing stolen ones.
They are valuable in
quality control, as once a defect is found in the production of a particular batch of product, the serial number will identify which units are affected. Some items with serial numbers are
automobiles,
firearms, electronics, and appliances.
Smartphones and other Smart Devices
![TMP246M-M-352F serial number 20170608](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/TMP246M-M-352F_serial_number_20170608.jpg)
In smartphones, serial numbers are extended to the integrated
components in addition to the electronic device as a whole, also known a
serialization This gives unique individual parts such as the screen, battery,
chip Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a type of immunoprecipitation experimental technique used to investigate the interaction between proteins and DNA in the cell. It aims to determine whether specific proteins are associated with specific genom ...
and camera a separate serial number. This is queried by the software for proper release for use. This practice by manufacturers limits th
right to repairelectronic devices.
Serial numbers for intangible goods
Serial numbers may be used to identify individual physical or intangible objects (for example
computer software
Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...
or the right to play an online multiplayer game). The purpose and application is different. A software serial number, otherwise called a
product key, is usually not embedded in the software, but is assigned to a specific user with a right to use the software. The software will function only if a potential user enters a valid product code. The vast majority of possible codes are rejected by the software. If an unauthorised user is found to be using the software, the legitimate user can be identified from the code. It is usually not impossible, however, for an unauthorised user to create a valid but unallocated code either by trying many possible codes, or
reverse engineering the software; use of unallocated codes can be monitored if the software makes an
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
connection.
Other uses of the term
The term ''serial number'' is sometimes used for codes which do not identify a single instance of something. For example, the
International Standard Serial Number or ISSN used on magazines, journals and other
periodicals
A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also exampl ...
, an equivalent to the
International Standard Book Number
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.
An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition a ...
(ISBN) applied to books, is assigned to each ''periodical''. It takes its name from the
library science
Library science (often termed library studies, bibliothecography, and library economy) is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, an ...
use of the word ''serial'' to mean a periodical.
Certificates and
certificate authorities (CA) are necessary for widespread use of
cryptography
Cryptography, or cryptology (from grc, , translit=kryptós "hidden, secret"; and ''graphein'', "to write", or ''-logia'', "study", respectively), is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adver ...
. These depend on applying mathematically rigorous serial numbers and serial number arithmetic, again not identifying a single instance of the content being protected.
Military and government use
The term ''serial number'' is also used in military formations as an alternative to the expression ''
service number
A service number is an identification code used to identify a person within a large group. Service numbers are most often associated with the military; however, they may be used in civilian organizations as well. National identification numbers may ...
''. In
air force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
s, the serial number is used to uniquely identify individual aircraft and is usually painted on both sides of the aircraft fuselage, most often in the tail area, although in some cases the serial is painted on the side of the aircraft's fin/rudder(s). Because of this, the serial number is sometimes called a ''tail number''.
In the UK
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF) the individual serial takes the form of two letters followed by three digits, e.g., ''BT308''—the prototype
Avro Lancaster, or ''XS903''—an
English Electric Lightning F.6 at one time based at RAF
Binbrook
Binbrook is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the B1203 road, and north-east from Market Rasen.
Previously a larger market town,Cox, J. Charles (1916) ''Lincolnshire'' pp. 64 ...
.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
RAF aircraft that were
secret
Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret.
Secrecy is often controvers ...
or carrying secret equipment had "/G" (for "Guard") appended to the serial, denoting that the aircraft was to have an armed guard at all times while on the ground, e.g., ''LZ548/G''—the prototype
de Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by ...
jet fighter, or ''ML926/G''—a
de Havilland Mosquito XVI experimentally fitted with
H2S radar
H2S was the first airborne, ground scanning radar system. It was developed for the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command during World War II to identify targets on the ground for night and all-weather bombing. This allowed attacks outside the ran ...
. Prior to this scheme the RAF, and predecessor
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colors =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, decorations ...
(RFC), utilised a serial consisting of a letter followed by four figures, e.g., ''D8096''—a
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Bif ...
currently owned by the
Shuttleworth Collection
The Shuttleworth Collection is a working aeronautical and automotive collection located at the Old Warden Aerodrome, Old Warden in Bedfordshire, England. It is the oldest in the world and one of the most prestigious, due to the variety of old a ...
, or ''K5054''—the prototype
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
. The serial number follows the aircraft throughout its period of service.
In 2009, the U.S.
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
published draft guidance for the
pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate symptoms. ...
to use serial numbers on prescription drug packages.
This measure is intended to enhance the
traceability Traceability is the capability to trace something. In some cases, it is interpreted as the ability to verify the history, location, or application of an item by means of documented recorded identification.
Other common definitions include the capab ...
of drugs and to help prevent
counterfeiting.
Serial number arithmetic
Serial numbers are often used in
network protocol
A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics and synchroniza ...
s. However, most sequence numbers in computer protocols are limited to a fixed number of bits, and will
wrap around after sufficiently many numbers have been allocated. Thus, recently allocated serial numbers may duplicate very old serial numbers, but not other recently allocated serial numbers. To avoid ambiguity with these non-unique numbers, "Serial Number Arithmetic", defines special rules for calculations involving these kinds of serial numbers.
Lollipop sequence number spaces are a more recent and sophisticated scheme for dealing with finite-sized sequence numbers in protocols.
See also
*
*
*
*
*
* (serial identifiers for databases)
*
*
*
* – one of the first machines to sport a unique serial number
Sources
*Elz, R., and R. Bush, "Serial Number Arithmetic", Network Working Group, August 1996.
*Plummer, William W
"Sequence Number Arithmetic". Cambridge, Massachusetts: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc., 21 September 1978.
References
External links
ISSN International Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serial Number