This is history that I wish I knew in more detail, but I think TCP learned[1] it from Ethernet, and Ethernet learned[2] it from ALOHAnet[3] (in the 1970s). [1]

This is history that I wish I knew in more detail, but I think TCP learned[1] it from Ethernet, and Ethernet learned[2] it from ALOHAnet[3] (in the 1970s). [1] https://cs162.org/static/readings/jacobson-congestion.pdf https://cs162.org/static/readings/jacobson-congestion.pdf [2] https://www.i-programmer.info/babbages-bag/398-ethernet.html?start=1 https://www.i-programmer.info/babbages-bag/398-ethernet.html... [3] https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/lam/NRL/backoff.html https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/lam/NRL/backoff.html