monisäikeisestä

Monisäikeisyys, in computer science, refers to the ability of a program or a CPU to execute multiple threads concurrently. A thread is the smallest unit of processing that can be scheduled by an operating system. In a monisäikeinen (multithreaded) environment, a single process can have multiple threads running simultaneously, each performing a different task or part of a larger task.

This contrasts with a ykfisäikeinen (single-threaded) program, where only one thread can execute at any given moment. If a single-threaded program encounters a blocking operation, such as waiting for input from a user or reading a file, the entire program freezes until the operation is complete. In a multithreaded program, however, other threads can continue to execute while one thread is blocked, leading to improved responsiveness and efficiency.

Multithreading can be implemented in software, where the operating system manages the switching between threads, or in hardware, where a CPU has multiple cores or execution units that can run threads in parallel. True parallelism is achieved with hardware multithreading, where multiple threads are executed literally at the same time. Concurrency, on the other hand, refers to the appearance of simultaneous execution, even if only one thread is actually running at any given instant, with the system rapidly switching between them.

Common applications of monisäikeisyys include graphical user interfaces, where one thread handles user input while others perform background processing, and web servers, which can handle multiple client requests concurrently. It is a fundamental concept in modern operating systems and application development for improving performance and user experience.