Explain the concept of multithreading in Java. What are the advantages of using multithreading? Discuss the challenges, such as race conditions and deadlocks. How do Java's concurrency utilities help manage these issues?
In Java, threads can be created by extending the Thread class or implementing the Runnable interface. This allows concurrent execution of code.
class MyThread extends Thread { public void run() { /* code */ } }
Synchronization ensures that only one thread can access a resource at a time, preventing data inconsistency. Java provides the synchronized keyword for this purpose.
synchronized void myMethod() { /* critical section */ }
A race condition occurs when two or more threads access shared data and attempt to change it simultaneously, leading to unpredictable results.
Deadlock happens when two or more threads are blocked forever, each waiting for the other to release a resource. Proper resource management is crucial to avoid this.
