What are the differences between livelock, deadlock, and starvation?

What are the differences between livelock, deadlock, and starvation?

Livelock occurs when processes continuously change states in response to each other without making progress. Deadlock is when processes are stuck waiting for each other indefinitely. Starvation happens when a process is perpetually denied the resources it needs to proceed.

Can you give me examples of each?

Sure! For deadlock, think of two trains on the same track waiting for each other to move. Livelock can be illustrated by two people trying to pass each other in a narrow hallway, constantly stepping aside for the other. Starvation might occur in a scheduling system where a low-priority task never gets CPU time because higher-priority tasks keep coming.

How can we prevent these issues in a system?

To prevent deadlock, you can use strategies like resource allocation graphs or the Banker's algorithm. Livelock can be mitigated by introducing randomness in process states. Starvation can be avoided by implementing aging, where the priority of waiting processes increases over time.

Are there any real-world applications of these concepts?

Yes, these concepts are crucial in operating systems, database management, and network protocols to ensure efficient resource management and avoid performance bottlenecks.