Final answer:
Interrupts are a technique used to improve processor utilization by allowing the processor to handle events such as input/output operations efficiently, resulting in multitasking and improved system responsiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Interrupts are mechanisms that allow a processor to pause the current execution flow in order to deal with an event, often related to input/output (I/O) operations or system calls. They are provided primarily as a way to improve processor utilization by allowing the CPU to switch context and execute other tasks while waiting for slower I/O operations to complete or to handle asynchronous events such as hardware faults. This multitasking ability is crucial in modern computing systems, leading to better system responsiveness and efficiency.
When an interrupt is received, the CPU suspends its current activities, saves the state of the current process, and transfers control to an interrupt handler routine. After the interrupt is serviced, the CPU can resume the execution of the previous process. This process is one of the fundamental concepts in operating systems design and allows for more complex operations such as concurrent processing and multitasking to be implemented.