Final answer:
The term describing the OS's ability to manage multiple execution paths within a single process is multithreading, which allows threads to run independently while sharing process resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you're asking about refers to the ability of an operating system (OS) to support multiple, concurrent paths of execution within a single process. This feature is known as multithreading. Each thread within a process executes independently but shares process resources.
Unlike options c and d, which describe processes that follow the same or different paths for every cycle, multithreading allows multiple threads to operate simultaneously, helping to improve the efficiency of a program by utilizing multiple CPU cores for different tasks. Concurrency refers to the ability of an OS to support multiple, concurrent paths of execution within a single process. This means that the OS is able to run different parts of a program at the same time, allowing for parallel processing and improved efficiency. Concurrency can be achieved through techniques such as multi-threading or multi-processing.