Time and Concurrency (A Programmer's Journey)

We are using computers in environments where our software is the ``brain'' of the system, which has minimal or no interaction with human, e.g., car engine control systems, assembly line robots, etc.;these systems must operate in our notion of time, i.e., real time. This book is about how to deal with time and concurrency in software. Computers can execute instructions much faster than we can count. We use our software (or computer) to accomplish as many activities as possible every second. A processor can only execute one instruction at a time. To deal with concurrent activities, we need to multiplex the processor among a set of independent or cooperating activities. This book explains the timing and concurrency issues in software, discusses concepts that are relevant to real time programming, presents a set of techniques that are useful in practice, and shows how to construct a simple real time operating system that may help in dealing with time and concurrency.