What is parity in the PC?

In computing, parity refers to a method of error detection used in data transmission and storage. It involves adding an extra bit, known as the parity bit, to a binary number to indicate whether the number of 1s is odd or even. This allows systems to detect single-bit errors; for example, in even parity, if the number of 1s is odd, the parity bit is set to 1 to make it even. While useful for basic error checking, parity cannot correct errors and is often used alongside more robust error detection and correction methods.