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Software → Programming

Synchronization

Coordination between concurrent tasks to control ordering, shared state, or access to resources.

Motivation

Synchronization solves the problem of coordinating concurrent work safely.

Where it fits

Synchronization belongs to concurrent programming and operating systems.

Mental model

When multiple tasks access shared state, synchronization defines who may proceed and when.

Common mistakes

Locking too broadly and destroying performance.
Not locking at all and creating data races.

Synchronization connects to mutex, semaphore, critical section, race condition, and deadlock.