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How To Calculate The Number of Child Processes CR

The document explains how to calculate the number of child processes created by the fork() system call, which duplicates the calling process. The formula for child processes is 2^n - 1, where n is the number of times fork() is called, and the total number of processes is 2^n. It also emphasizes the importance of tracing execution flow and understanding how fork() interacts with conditional statements and loops.

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54 views3 pages

How To Calculate The Number of Child Processes CR

The document explains how to calculate the number of child processes created by the fork() system call, which duplicates the calling process. The formula for child processes is 2^n - 1, where n is the number of times fork() is called, and the total number of processes is 2^n. It also emphasizes the importance of tracing execution flow and understanding how fork() interacts with conditional statements and loops.

Uploaded by

gargdilkash
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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how to calculate the number of child processes created, along with the total number

of processes (including the original parent):

Understanding fork()

 What it does: The fork() system call creates a new process (the child process) that's a
copy of the calling process (the parent process).
 Return values:
o In the child process: fork() returns 0.
o In the parent process: fork() returns the process ID (PID) of the newly created
child.
o On error: fork() returns -1.

The Formula: Child Processes = 2^n - 1

 n: Represents the number of times fork() is called in the code.


 Why 2^n - 1?
o Each time fork() is called, it potentially doubles the number of running processes.
o The initial process is the "root" or original process.

Example: fork(); fork(); fork();

First fork():

o The original process calls fork().


o This creates one child process.
o Now there are 2 processes (original + 1 child).

Second fork():

o Both the original process and the first child process call fork().
o This creates two more child processes.
o Now there are 4 processes (original + 1st child + 2 new children).

Third fork():

o All four processes (original + 1st child + 2 new children) call fork().
o This creates four more child processes.
o Now there are 8 processes in total.

Calculation:

 n = 3 (because fork() is called three times)


 Child processes = 2^3 - 1 = 8 - 1 = 7

Total Processes = 2^n

 In the example above, the total number of processes (including the original parent) is 2^3 =
8.

Important Notes:
 Where the code executes: The key is that after a fork(), both the parent and the child
process continue executing the code from the point where fork() was called. This is why
the number of processes multiplies.
 if statements and loops: The way you use fork() within if statements or loops will
affect how many times it's actually called and therefore how many processes are created.

Let's illustrate with a slightly more complex example:

C
int main() {
if (fork()) {
fork();
}
printf("Hello\n");
return 0;
}

First fork():

o The original process calls fork().


o This creates one child process.
o The if condition is true in the parent (because fork() returns the child's PID) but
false in the child (because fork() returns 0).

Second fork() (only in the parent):

o Only the parent process enters the if block and calls fork() again.
o This creates another child process.

1.

printf("Hello\n");:

2.

o This will be executed by:

 The original parent process (once)


 The first child process (once)
 The second child process (once)

In this case:

 fork() is called twice, but the second call only happens in one branch.
 There are a total of 3 processes (1 parent + 2 children).

Key Takeaway:

To accurately calculate the number of processes, carefully trace the execution flow of
your code, paying close attention to how fork() is used within conditional statements
or loops.

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