Dense rank is a ranking method that assigns consecutive integers to items with the same rank, leaving no gaps between ranks. * Dense rank is used when you want to assign unique ranks to items without any gaps. * For example, if three items have ranks 1, 2, and 2, dense rank would assign ranks 1, 2, and 2 respectively. * It is commonly used in scenarios where ties need to be handled by giving the same rank to tied items.