A solution to the Dining Philosophers Problem which avoids deadlock is...
Explanation:
The Dining Philosophers Problem is a classic synchronization problem in computer science. It involves a scenario where a number of philosophers are sitting around a circular table and they alternate between thinking and eating. There is a fork between each pair of adjacent philosophers, and each philosopher needs two forks to eat.
The problem arises when all philosophers try to pick up both forks simultaneously, leading to a deadlock situation where no philosopher can make progress. To avoid this deadlock, certain rules need to be imposed to ensure that the philosophers can eat without getting stuck.
Solution:
The solution to the Dining Philosophers Problem that avoids deadlock is to ensure that one particular philosopher picks up the left fork before the right fork, and that all other philosophers pick up the right fork before the left fork.
This solution works because it breaks the circular wait condition required for deadlock to occur. If all philosophers were to pick up the left fork first, they would end up in a situation where each philosopher is waiting for their left neighbor to release the right fork, causing a deadlock. However, by having one philosopher pick up the left fork first, and all others pick up the right fork first, the circular wait condition is broken, and deadlock is avoided.
By imposing this rule, the philosophers can take turns picking up their required forks in a sequential manner, ensuring that each philosopher has access to both forks without causing a deadlock.
Overall, this solution to the Dining Philosophers Problem is an effective way to avoid deadlock by breaking the circular wait condition. It allows the philosophers to eat in a synchronized manner without getting stuck in a deadlock situation.