What is a mutex?

Can you explain what a mutex is?

A mutex, or mutual exclusion, is a synchronization primitive used to prevent multiple threads from accessing a shared resource simultaneously.

Why is it important to use a mutex?

Using a mutex is crucial to avoid race conditions, which can lead to inconsistent data and unpredictable behavior in multi-threaded applications.

How do I implement a mutex in my code?

You can implement a mutex using libraries like pthreads in C or the threading module in Python. Would you like an example?

Yes, please provide an example in Python.

Sure! Here's a simple example using the threading module:

import threading

mutex = threading.Lock()

def thread_function():
    with mutex:
        # Critical section of code
        print('Thread is accessing shared resource')