Parallel Processing

Parallel processing is the ability to carry out multiple operations or tasks simultaneously. The term is used in the contexts of both human cognition, particularly in the ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli, and in parallel computing by machines.


Parallel processing in computers:


Parallel computing is the simultaneous use of more than CPU or processor core to execute a program or multiple computational threads. Ideally, parallel processing makes programs run faster because there are more engines(CPUS or Cores) running it. In practice, it is often difficult to divide a program in such a way that separate CPUs or cores can execute different portions without interfering with each other.

Most computers have just one CPU, but some models have several, and multi-core processor chips are becoming  the norm. There are even computers with thousands of CPUs.