Indivisibility of operation in an operating system

Indivisibility of operation in an operating system refers to the property where an operation or task cannot be preempted or interrupted by another operation or task. In other words, once a process or task starts executing, it will run to completion without any interruption from other processes or tasks.

Explanation of the options

a) Operation is interruptable: If an operation is interruptable, it means that it can be paused or suspended by the operating system to allow another operation to execute. This is not an example of indivisibility of operation since the operation can be interrupted.

b) Race condition may occur: A race condition occurs when multiple processes or threads access and manipulate shared resources concurrently, leading to unpredictable and undesired results. While race conditions can occur in an operating system, they are not directly related to the indivisibility of operation.

c) Processor cannot be preempted: This option correctly represents the concept of indivisibility of operation. When the processor cannot be preempted, it means that once a process or task starts executing, it will run to completion without interruption from other processes or tasks. This ensures that the operation is indivisible and guarantees its completion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the correct answer is option 'C' - Processor cannot be preempted. Indivisibility of operation in an operating system ensures that once a process or task starts executing, it cannot be interrupted or preempted by other processes or tasks until it completes its execution. This property helps maintain the integrity and consistency of operations, preventing unexpected behavior and ensuring the correct execution of tasks in the operating system.