Final answer:
To avoid busy waiting in computing, synchronization mechanisms like sleep and wakeup calls, semaphores, and mutex locks can be used to conserve CPU resources and improve efficiency. In real-life situations, optimizing scheduling, paying for someone else's time, or using technology can reduce waiting times.
Step-by-step explanation:
To avoid the problem of busy waiting, which is a condition where a computer system wastes CPU time actively checking the status of a condition, different synchronization mechanisms can be implemented. One popular method is the use of sleep and wakeup calls, where a process sleeps until some condition is true and another process wakes it up. Another approach is through the use of semaphores, which is an abstract data type that allows for signaling among processes, enabling a process to wait passively until it is signaled by another process that it can proceed.
Additionally, the concept of mutex locks can be used to ensure that only one thread can access a resource at a time, which contrasts with busy waiting where multiple threads may be continuously checking the resource's availability. These mechanisms help in conserving CPU cycles and improving overall system efficiency.
In real-life scenarios where waiting is involved, such as waiting for a bus or in a queue, the situation can be optimized through scheduled arrivals or appointments, hiring others for the task which is an opportunity cost, or leveraging technology to streamline processes, as is done with modern voting systems.