Concurrency
Concurrency is a programming concept where multiple tasks or processes are executed in overlapping time periods, allowing for more efficient use of system resources and improved application responsiveness. It enables programs to handle multiple operations simultaneously, such as managing user input while performing background computations or handling multiple network requests. This is distinct from parallelism, which involves tasks running at the exact same time on multiple cores.
Developers should learn concurrency to build high-performance, scalable applications that can handle multiple tasks efficiently, such as web servers processing simultaneous requests, real-time systems like chat apps, or data-intensive applications like video streaming. It is essential for modern software where responsiveness and resource utilization are critical, especially in multi-core processor environments and distributed systems.