A race condition is a phenomenon that occurs in computer programming when the outcome of a program is dependent on the sequence or timing of uncontrollable events.

In simpler terms, it refers to a situation where the behavior of a program is unpredictable because it depends on the order in which different threads or processes are executed. Race conditions typically occur in multi-threaded or multi-process environments, where multiple threads or processes are running simultaneously and accessing shared resources.

When two or more threads or processes try to access and modify the same resource at the same time, the outcome can vary depending on which thread or process gets to the resource first.

This can lead to unexpected results, such as data corruption, crashes, or other errors. To prevent race conditions, developers need to implement proper synchronization mechanisms, such as locks, semaphores, or mutexes, to control access to shared resources.

By ensuring that only one thread or process can access a resource at a time, developers can avoid conflicts and maintain the integrity of the data. It is important for developers to be aware of race conditions and understand how to prevent them, as they can be difficult to debug and can lead to serious issues in the software.

By writing code that is thread-safe and implementing proper synchronization techniques, developers can avoid race conditions and ensure the reliability and stability of their software.