How does multithreading take place on a computer with a single CPU

The operating system's task scheduler allocates execution time to multiple tasks. Byquickly switching between executing tasks, it creates the impression that tasks executesequentially.
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Tracy Nelson

  • Sep 7th, 2005
 

By quickly switching among executing tasks, it creates the impression that the tasks execute simultaneously. If it didn't switch among the tasks, they would execute sequentially.

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acrien

  • Nov 3rd, 2006
 

multi-threading has two forms, theory and reality. In theory, multi-threading is suppose to be the same as "multi-tasking" which means do two different task at the same time. Not possible on a single CPU unless you consider GPU and ALU which generally we do not (consider them). In reality, multi-threading does more than create an illusion, it allows computers to shut down a program in infinite loop by creating another thread so CPU executes one iteration of the loop, switch to the kill thread and terminates the loop. Multi-tasking was suppose to do that but not as well handled.

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aseemak

  • Dec 22nd, 2007
 

Hyperthreading processors have more than one execution units but only one processor core, thats how multiple tasks are performed simultaneously

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