A race condition is a concurrency problem that occurs when the behavior of a software program depends on the relative timing or interleaving of multiple threads or processes. This can lead to unpredictable and undesirable outcomes, often resulting in software bugs that are difficult to reproduce and debug.
Key Characteristics of Race Conditions:
Concurrent Access: Race conditions typically arise when two or more threads or processes access shared data concurrently, and at least one of the accesses is a write operation[1][2][4].
Timing Dependency: The final outcome of the program depends on the specific timing or order of execution of the threads or processes. This nondeterministic behavior can cause different results in different runs of the program[1][3][5].
Critical Sections: Race conditions often occur within critical sections of code, where multiple threads execute code that accesses shared resources. If the sequence of execution is not properly controlled, it can lead to inconsistent or incorrect results[3][4].
Examples:
Bank Account Transfer: Consider a scenario where two threads attempt to transfer money from one bank account to another simultaneously. If both threads check the account balance at the same time and proceed to transfer funds based on the same initial balance, it can result in an incorrect final balance[1][3].
Light Switches: In a home with multiple light switches controlling the same light, if two people try to switch the light on or off simultaneously, the final state of the light may be unpredictable[5].
Types of Race Conditions:
Data Race: A specific type of race condition where two threads access the same memory location concurrently, and at least one of the accesses is a write. Data races can lead to memory corruption or undefined behavior[1][4].
Read-Modify-Write: This pattern involves multiple threads reading a value, modifying it, and writing it back. If not properly synchroniz...
