The new algorithm for evaluating the holdup time of gas-chromatographic systems (t 0 ) is considered. It is applicable at any temperature regimes of analysis not only isothermal, but also with linear temperature programming. It is based on the extrapolation of retention times of consecutive homologues (in particular, n-alkanes) with the evaluation of retention time of hypothetical homologue with zero number of carbon atoms in the molecule by using linear recurrent relations. It is shown that historically first method for evaluating t 0 using retention times (t R ) of three consecutive homologues, proposed by Peterson and Hirsch (J Lipid Res 1:132-144, 1959), can be expanded onto temperature programming regimes after its modification by replacing t R values by their squares.