Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Independent processes are separate tasks or computations that do not rely on each other's results and can be executed concurrently without affecting one another.
Related terms
Synchronization: Synchronization refers to coordinating the timing and order of operations between multiple processes or threads to ensure proper communication and avoid conflicts.
Race condition: A race condition occurs when two or more processes access shared resources simultaneously, leading to unpredictable outcomes due to interference and lack of synchronization.
Deadlock: Deadlock happens when two or more processes are waiting indefinitely for each other to release resources required by them, resulting in no progress being made by any process involved.