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Definition
Non-blocking algorithms are shared-memory multiprocessor algorithms that can avoid race conditions and guarantee correctness without using mutual exclusion locks. They are in general more resilient to asynchronous conditions than lock-based algorithms since they guarantee progress even if some of the threads participating in the algorithm are delayed for a long duration or even fail-stop. (The definition of the terms “non-blocking” and “lock-free” has changed in recent years, creating some terminology confusion. In the past, an algorithm was called “non-blocking” if it guaranteed global progress and “lock-free” if it did not rely on mutual exclusion locks. In recent years, most authors call an algorithm “lock-free” if it guarantees global progress and “non-blocking” if the delay of some threads cannot delay other threads indefinitely. This entry adopts the latter terminology since it is more widely used nowadays. Precise definitions are provided...
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Hendler, D. (2011). Non-Blocking Algorithms. In: Padua, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parallel Computing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09766-4_185
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