DEADLOCKS Meaning and
Definition
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Deadlocks refer to situations in which two or more processes or threads within a computer system are indefinitely waiting for resources that are held by each other, resulting in a state of deadlock. A deadlock occurs when two or more processes or threads are unable to proceed and effectively become "stuck."
In a deadlock, each process or thread is holding onto a resource that another process or thread requires in order to continue. The resources can include system resources such as memory or devices, as well as application-specific resources like data structures or locks.
There are several necessary conditions for a deadlock to occur, including mutual exclusion (only one process can use a resource at a time), hold and wait (a process holds onto a resource while waiting for another resource), no preemption (resources once allocated cannot be forcibly taken away), and circular wait (a circular chain of processes each waiting for a resource held by another process in the chain).
Deadlocks can be a significant issue in computer systems as they can lead to system slowdowns or even a complete system freeze. To overcome deadlocks, various techniques and algorithms are implemented, such as resource scheduling, deadlock detection, deadlock avoidance, and deadlock recovery. These techniques aim to break the necessary conditions for deadlocks to occur or to identify and resolve deadlocks when they do occur. Proper management of resources and careful design of software systems can help mitigate and prevent deadlocks from happening.
Common Misspellings for DEADLOCKS
Etymology of DEADLOCKS
The word "deadlock" originated from the combination of two words, "dead" and "lock".
The term "dead" comes from the Old English word "dēad", which means "lifeless" or "ceased to exist".
The word "lock" comes from the Old English word "loc", which means "barrier" or "enclosure". It is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "lukaz".
When these two words are combined, "deadlock" refers to a situation where progress is halted or stopped completely. It is often used to describe a situation in which two or more parties are unable to reach an agreement or make any further progress.
