How do hazard pointers work?

Can you explain how hazard pointers work in concurrent programming?

Sure! Hazard pointers are a technique used in concurrent programming to manage memory safely. They help prevent the deletion of objects that are still in use by other threads.

How do they prevent memory leaks?

They prevent memory leaks by ensuring that threads can safely access shared data without accidentally freeing memory that is still being referenced. When a thread wants to access an object, it sets a hazard pointer to that object, signaling that it is in use.

What happens if a thread tries to delete an object that has a hazard pointer?

If a thread tries to delete an object that has an active hazard pointer, the deletion is postponed until all hazard pointers referencing that object are cleared, ensuring safe memory management.

Are there any downsides to using hazard pointers?

Yes, one downside is that they can introduce some overhead in terms of performance and complexity, as managing hazard pointers requires additional synchronization.