[comp.misc] P and V operators

lexw@idca.tds.PHILIPS.nl (Lex Wassenberg) (03/22/89)

I place this article here, and not in comp.arch where the discussion started
because it has nothing to do with architecture anymore.

I received several mailings regarding the Dutch words for the P and V
operators of professor Edsger W. Dijkstra. Most of them stated P to be
'Passeren' (to pass), 'Proberen' (to try) or 'Pakken' (to seize), and
V to be 'Verhogen' (to increment), 'Vrijlaten' (to free) or 'Vrijgeven'
(to release). These words were given in several combinations, but personally
I think that to seize and to release is the best description of what is
done with the semaphore (thanks, Rick).

      ________________
     /  /  ___  _____/      Lex Wassenberg, Philips TDS
    /  /  /__ \/ ___/       Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
   /  /  ___/   /__         lexw@idca.tds.philips.nl
  /  /  /____/\___/                                            
 /  /____________/ It's said that only 10 people on the whole world understood
/_______________/  Einstein. I'm so brilliant that no-one understands me at all.

new@udel.EDU (Darren New) (03/23/89)

>I received several mailings regarding the Dutch words for the P and V
>operators of professor Edsger W. Dijkstra. Most of them stated P to be

Not knowing Dutch, I remember which is which by thinking of
 P = Procure, V = Vacate
 I.e., procure access to the critical region and vacate the critical region
 being protected by the semaphore. Obviously, this is not what they
 really, originally were, but it is a handy mnemonic for English-speakers.