How do process and thread differ in memory?

A process has its own address space; threads share the process's code, data and heap

A thread has its own address space

Both share spaces with all processes

Which context switch is faster and why?

Thread, as the address space is the same

Process, as memory maps are not switched

How do processes and threads communicate?

Processes need IPC (pipes, queues, shared memory); threads use shared variables directly

Threads need IPC; processes use shared variables

What happens if a thread has a fatal error?

Only that thread is affected, always

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Process versus thread differences

Short answer

A process holds its own memory space and resources; a thread is a lightweight unit sharing its parent process’s address space. Process creation and IPC are heavier; thread communication is direct via shared variables, and context switch is faster but isolation is weaker.

Differentiate between process and thread (give at least 4 to 6 differences).

A process is a program in execution with its own address space and resources. A thread is a lightweight unit of execution within a process; threads of one process share its code, data and resources.

Point	Process	Thread
Definition	Independent program in execution	Lightweight path of execution within a process
Address space	Own separate memory space	Shares the memory (code, data, heap) of the process
Own resources	Own code, data, files, registers, stack	Own stack, registers and program counter only
Creation / termination	Slow, costly	Fast, cheap
Context switch	Slow (memory maps must be switched)	Fast (same address space)
Communication	Needs IPC (pipes, message queues, shared memory)	Direct, through shared variables
Isolation	Strong; one process crash does not affect others	Weak; one thread error can crash the whole process
Dependence	Independent	Depends on its parent process
Overhead	High	Low

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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Process versus thread differences

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