What term describes the situation where multiple processes require access to the same resource?

The situation where multiple processes require access to the same resource is best described by the term "race conditions." Race conditions occur when two or more processes or threads attempt to change shared data simultaneously. If the timing of the processes is such that they interfere with each other, the result could be unpredictable or erroneous.

In essence, a race condition arises from concurrent access to shared resources, leading to the potential for conflicting outcomes based on the timing of the processes involved. This is crucial in environments where precise control over the sequence of operations is necessary to maintain data integrity and consistency.

The other terms relate to different aspects of concurrency in computing. Mutual exclusion refers to the requirement that only one process accesses a resource at any given time to prevent conflicts. Synchronization is about coordinating processes or threads to ensure that they do not interfere with each other, not specifically about the competition for resources. Deadlock describes a state in which two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release a resource. Each of these situations highlights specific problems in concurrent system behavior, but the essence of processes competing for the same resource is captured most accurately by "race conditions."