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Applications of serial numbering
Serial numbers identify otherwise identical individual units with many, obvious 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. Some items with serial numbers are automobiles, electronics, and appliances. and other transferable documents of value bear serial numbers to assist in preventing and tracing stolen ones.


Serial numbers for intangible goods

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, an equivalent to the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) applied to books, is assigned to each periodical. It takes its name from the use of the word serial to mean a periodical.

Certificates and certificate authorities (CA) are necessary for widespread use of . 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 . In , 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 (RAF) the individual serial takes the form of two letters followed by three digits, e.g., BT308—the prototype , or XS903—an English Electric Lightning F.6 at one time based at RAF . During the Second World War RAF aircraft that were 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 , or ML926/G—a de Havilland Mosquito XVI experimentally fitted with H2S radar. Prior to this scheme the RAF, and predecessor Royal Flying Corps (RFC), utilised a serial consisting of a letter followed by four figures, e.g., D8096—a Bristol F.2 Fighter currently owned by the Shuttleworth Collection, or K5054—the prototype Supermarine Spitfire. The serial number follows the aircraft throughout its period of service.

In 2009, the U.S. FDA published draft guidance for the pharmaceutical industry to use serial numbers on prescription drug packages. This measure is intended to enhance the of drugs and to help prevent counterfeiting.

Serial number arithmetic
Serial numbers are often used in . 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.


See also

  • Elz, R., and R. Bush, "Serial Number Arithmetic", Network Working Group, August 1996.

External links

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