A mutex (short for "mutual exclusion") is a synchronization mechanism used in computational architecture to ensure that only one process or thread can access a shared resource at a time. It is a type of lock that prevents multiple processes from accessing the same resource concurrently, thereby avoiding data inconsistency and race conditions. Mutexes are commonly used in multi-threaded programs, where multiple threads may try to access shared resources like memory locations or files simultaneously. By using mutexes, programmers can ensure that only one thread can access the shared resources at a time, preventing conflicts and ensuring data integrity.
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