Answer
DENSE_RANK assigns equal rank to peers without leaving gaps after ties. • The window ORDER BY defines peer rows. • It differs from ROW_NUMBER because ties share a rank. • It differs from RANK because the next rank remains consecutive.
💡 SQL Example
SELECT name, DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY salary DESC) AS salary_rank FROM employees;
Result
Ranks such as 1, 2, 2, 3
⚡ Quick Revision
DENSE_RANK shares ranks for ties without gaps.