Description: The term ‘atomic’ in the context of computing refers to an operation that is completed in a single step without interruption. This means that an atomic operation is indivisible and therefore cannot be interrupted by other operations. In programming and databases, atomic operations are fundamental to ensuring data integrity, especially in concurrent environments where multiple processes may attempt to access and modify the same data simultaneously. Atomic operations ensure that if an operation fails, the system can roll back any changes made, thus maintaining the consistency of the system’s state. This concept is crucial in the implementation of transactions in databases, where a set of operations must either execute completely or not execute at all. Additionally, in concurrent programming, atomic operations help prevent race conditions and other synchronization-related issues. In summary, atomicity in computing is a principle that ensures certain operations are performed safely and reliably, without external interference.
