undefined | Better HN

0 pointsbheadmaster3y ago0 comments

I used Wikipedia in order to have some kind of reference, but I was fairly sure of the meaning beforehand.

Searching the internet for "race condition definition" and taking the top few results brings several definitions that all agree in spirit with the Wikipedia one (see below).

If you know of any more reliable source that doesn't agree with Wikipedia on the definition of "race condition", please post it here. This is a honest request - I am always grateful to those who correct my mistakes (in good faith).

    wordnik [0]:  A flaw in a system or process whereby the output or result is unexpectedly and critically dependent on the sequence or timing of other events.

    techtarget [1]: A race condition is an undesirable situation that occurs when a device or system attempts to perform two or more operations at the same time, but because of the nature of the device or system, the operations must be done in the proper sequence to be done correctly.

    techterms [2]: A race condition occurs when a software program depends on the timing of one or more processes to function correctly.

    javatpoint [3]: When the output of the system or program depends on the sequence or timing of other uncontrolled events, this condition is called Race Condition.

    technopedia [4]: A race condition is a behavior which occurs in software applications or electronic systems, such as logic systems, where the output is dependent on the timing or sequence of other uncontrollable events.

[0] https://www.wordnik.com/words/race%20condition

[1] https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/race-con...

[2] https://techterms.com/definition/race_condition

[3] https://www.javatpoint.com/what-is-race-condition

[4] https://www.techopedia.com/definition/10313/race-condition

0 comments

squeaky-clean3y ago

> If you know of any more reliable source that doesn't agree with Wikipedia on the definition of "race condition", please post it here.

Other commenters have already covered that. The links you shared aren't good primary sources, and probably took their definition from Wikipedia itself, creating a circular reference issue.

bheadmasterOP3y ago

Regardless, if you yourself happen to know any sources that weren't covered in other comments, please share them.

I remember learning about race conditions in college, and they were always mentioned in the context of bugs - that's why I took Wikipedia itself for granted, as its definition fit my current understanding of the word.

It seems to be a case of popular usage of the word differing from the original. It also raises a question of whether or not the original intended meaning is the authority, if the majority of programmers use it in a different way. Who should, in general, be the authority on the meaning of a word? But that's more of a philosophical question, I suppose.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse