Synchronization

This Java project is a synchronization problem solver that aims to provide solutions for three classic synchronization problems. The solutions are implemented using Java and make use of semaphores for synchronization.

Table of Contents

• Project Overview
• Project Structure
• How to Use
• Acknowledgments

Project Overview

The project focuses on solving the following synchronization problems:

1. Dining Philosophers

   • A classic problem where philosophers sit around a dining table and must share chopsticks without causing conflicts. Each philosopher(thread) needs 2 chopsticks(semaphores) to eat a meal.

2. Bounded-Buffer

   • Simulates a post office with people, mailboxes, and messages. Semaphores are used to control mailbox access when sending messages. An extension of the bounded-buffer problem.

3. Readers-Writers

   • Addresses the Readers-Writers problem where multiple readers can access a file simultaneously, but only one writer can write at a time.

Each of these problems is solved with proper synchronization techniques, ensuring that concurrent processes behave correctly.

Project Structure

The project is structured as follows:

• src/ : Contains the source code for the three synchronization problems.

synchronization/
├── src/
│   └── com/
│       └── jonledet/
│           ├── main/
│           │    └── Main.java
│           ├── philosopher/
│           │    ├── Philosopher.java
│           │    ├── Chopstick.java
│           ├── mailbox/
│           │    ├── Person.java
│           │    ├── Mailbox.java
│           ├── readwrite/
│           │    ├── ReadersWriters.java
│           │    ├── Readers.java
│           │    └── Writers.java
│           └── utils/
│                ├── Colors.java
│                └── Tools.java
│
└── out/

• docs/ : Documentation and additional resources.

How to Use

1. Clone or download this repository to your local machine.

2. Navigate to Main in the src/ directory.

3. Compile and run the Java code for the chosen problem.

javac Main.java
java Main

• To run Dining Philosophers, use the command line argument -A 1.
• To run Post Office Simulation, use the command line argument -A 2.
• To run Readers-Writer Problem, use the command line argument -A 3. For example, to run Dining Philosophers, use:

java Main -A 1

Follow the on-screen prompts and instructions to interact with and observe the solution.

You can run each problem separately and observe how they handle synchronization.

Acknowledgments

This project was completed to gain a deeper understanding of synchronization problems and their solutions. The code and implementations were developed as part of a learning process. Special thanks to the educators and resources that provided guidance and insights during the project's development.

Feel free to explore the source code and use it as a reference for your own synchronization challenges or for educational purposes.