Explain the concept of transitive dependency in the context of dependencies in software systems.

Transitive dependency is a dependency that occurs not directly, but through one or more intermediate dependencies. For example, if project A depends on library B, and library B depends on library C, then for project A, library C is a transitive dependency.

In dependency management systems (such as Maven or Gradle), transitive dependencies are automatically pulled in, which simplifies work, but can sometimes lead to version conflicts or redundant libraries.

Example:

• A → B (direct dependency)
• B → C (direct dependency)
• Therefore, A → C (transitive dependency)

It is important to understand transitive dependencies to manage them and avoid compatibility issues.