.. _classic_problems:

Classic Synchronization Problems
----------------------------------------------

Some synchronization problems, such as the :ref:`shared_buffer_prob` are fairly
simple to solve using reliable synchronization facilities such as
:ref:`semaphores`. Other problems that programmers must solve are more complex,
in fact, some of them are just down right tricky to solve correctly such that
there is never a problem with :ref:`ipc_starvation`, :ref:`deadlock` or
:ref:`race_condition`.  Fortunately, there are a lot of really smart people who
have already tackled these problems and we have known solutions to them.  These
problems are ones that frequently arise, so we discuss them and their solutions
in fairly generic terms and refer to them as the :ref:`classic_problems`.
**One of the biggest challenges that the programmer must solve is to correctly
identify their problem as an instance of one of the classic problems.** It may
require thinking about the problem or framing it in a less than obvious way, so
that a known solution may be used.  The advantage to using a using known
solution is assurance that it is correct.  Some instances of :term:`deadlock`,
can occur only in rare conditions and are difficult to detect. So for any
programming task using synchronization, it is best to reference a known
solution to one of the classic problems.

**Contents:**

.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 2

   shared_buffer
   bounded_buffer
   readers_writers
   philosophers
   others