Quiz 3 - Process Synchronization

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Michael
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  • 1/8 Questions

    Race conditions are prevented by requiring that critical regions be protected by locks.

    • True
    • False
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About This Quiz

Quiz 3 - Process Synchronization covers key concepts such as race conditions, mutex locks, semaphores, and critical sections in concurrent programming.

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  • 2. 

    A solution to the critical section problem does not have to satisfy which of the following requirements?

    • Atomicity

    • Bounded waiting

    • Progress

    • Mutual exclusion

    Correct Answer
    A. Atomicity
    Explanation
    A solution to the critical section problem must satisfy the requirements of mutual exclusion, bounded waiting, and progress. Atomicity, however, is not a requirement for a solution to the critical section problem. Atomicity refers to the property that an operation is indivisible or uninterruptible. While atomicity can be desirable in certain situations, it is not necessary for a solution to the critical section problem.

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  • 3. 

    Mutex locks and counting semaphores are essentially the same thing.

    • True

    • False

    Correct Answer
    A. False
    Explanation
    Mutex locks and counting semaphores are not essentially the same thing. While both are synchronization mechanisms used in concurrent programming, they have different characteristics and purposes. A mutex lock is used to provide exclusive access to a shared resource, allowing only one thread to access it at a time. On the other hand, a counting semaphore is used to control the number of threads that can access a shared resource simultaneously. It maintains a count and allows a specific number of threads to access the resource concurrently. Therefore, the statement that mutex locks and counting semaphores are essentially the same thing is false.

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  • 4. 

    The value of a counting semaphore can range only between 0 and 1.

    • True

    • False

    Correct Answer
    A. False
    Explanation
    A counting semaphore is a synchronization primitive that allows multiple threads to access a shared resource. Unlike a binary semaphore, which can only have two states (0 and 1), a counting semaphore can have any non-negative integer value. Therefore, the given statement that the value of a counting semaphore can range only between 0 and 1 is incorrect.

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  • 5. 

    A counting semaphore ____.

    • Cannot be used to control access to a thread's critical sections

    • Is essentially an integer variable

    • Can be modified simultaneously by multiple threads

    • Is accessed through only one standard operation

    Correct Answer
    A. Is essentially an integer variable
    Explanation
    A counting semaphore is essentially an integer variable because it is used to control access to a shared resource by multiple threads. It maintains a count of the number of available resources and allows or blocks access based on this count. The value of the semaphore is an integer that is incremented or decremented by the threads as they acquire or release the resource.

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  • 6. 

    What is the correct order of operations for protecting a critical section using a binary semaphore?

    • Signal() followed by wait()

    • Acquire() followed by release()

    • Release() followed by acquire()

    • Wait() followed by signal()

    Correct Answer
    A. Wait() followed by signal()
    Explanation
    The correct order of operations for protecting a critical section using a binary semaphore is to first wait for the semaphore (wait()), which blocks the process if the semaphore value is 0, ensuring mutual exclusion. Then, once the critical section is completed, the process signals the semaphore (signal()), allowing other processes to enter the critical section. This order ensures that only one process can enter the critical section at a time, preventing race conditions and ensuring synchronization.

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  • 7. 

    A race condition ____.

    • None of the above

    • Will result only if the outcome of execution does not depend on the order in which instructions are executed

    • Results when several threads try to access and modify the same data concurrently

    • Results when several threads try to access the same data concurrently

    Correct Answer
    A. Results when several threads try to access and modify the same data concurrently
    Explanation
    A race condition occurs when several threads try to access and modify the same data concurrently. In this situation, the outcome of the execution may be unpredictable and inconsistent because the threads may interfere with each other's operations. This can lead to errors and bugs in the program.

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  • 8. 

    A mutex lock ______.

    • Is exactly like a counting semaphore

    • Is essentially a boolean variable

    • Can be used to eliminate busy waiting

    • Is not guaranteed to be atomic

    Correct Answer
    A. Is essentially a boolean variable
    Explanation
    A mutex lock is essentially a boolean variable because it can have two states: locked or unlocked. When a thread wants to access a critical section of code, it checks the state of the mutex lock. If it is unlocked, the thread locks it and proceeds with the execution. If it is already locked, the thread waits until it becomes unlocked. This behavior is similar to a boolean variable where true represents locked and false represents unlocked.

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  • Current Version
  • Mar 30, 2023
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • Oct 25, 2019
    Quiz Created by
    Michael

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