A thread is usually defined as a “light weight process” because an operating system (OS) maintains smaller data structures for a thread than for a process. In relation to this, which of the following is TRUE? A) On per-thread basis, the OS maintains *only* CPU register state B) The OS does not maintain a separate stack for each thread C) On per-thread basis, the OS does not maintain virtual memory state D) On per-thread basis, the OS maintains *only* scheduling and accounting information

Official answer: C) On per-thread basis, the OS does not maintain virtual memory state. Explanation: Threads belonging to the same process share common process resources, including: - Address space / virtual memory state (page tables, code, data, heap segments) - Open file descriptors and I/O resources - Global variables and signals Each thread has its own private execution context: - Program Counter (PC) - CPU registers - Thread-private stack - Thread control block (TCB) Therefore, on a per-thread basis, the OS does not maintain a separate virtual memory state (it is shared among all threads of the process). This makes (C) the TRUE statement. - (A) is false because the OS also maintains stack, PC, scheduling info, etc. - (B) is false because each thread must maintain its own independent call stack. - (D) is false because the OS also maintains thread registers, program counter, and stack pointer.

A) On per-thread basis, the OS maintains *only* CPU register state

B) The OS does not maintain a separate stack for each thread

D) On per-thread basis, the OS maintains *only* scheduling and accounting information

Processes, Threads and IPC

GATE CSE 2011 · Q16

MCQ1 markEasy

Time00:00

A thread is usually defined as a “light weight process” because an operating system (OS) maintains smaller data structures for a thread than for a process. In relation to this, which of the following is TRUE?

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Solution

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Official answer: C) On per-thread basis, the OS does not maintain virtual memory state

Processes, Threads and IPC

Threads belonging to the same process share common process resources, including:

Address space / virtual memory state (page tables, code, data, heap segments)
Open file descriptors and I/O resources
Global variables and signals

Each thread has its own private execution context:

Program Counter (PC)
CPU registers
Thread-private stack
Thread control block (TCB)

Therefore, on a per-thread basis, the OS does not maintain a separate virtual memory state (it is shared among all threads of the process). This makes (C) the TRUE statement.

(A) is false because the OS also maintains stack, PC, scheduling info, etc.
(B) is false because each thread must maintain its own independent call stack.
(D) is false because the OS also maintains thread registers, program counter, and stack pointer.

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This Processes, Threads and IPC previous year question is Q16 of the GATE CSE 2011 paper. Find more GATE CSE PYQs on Processes, Threads and IPC in Operating Systems, or browse all GATE CSE PYQs.

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Processes, Threads and IPC in GATE CSE

Processes, Threads and IPC has 15 GATE CSE PYQs across 13 papers from 2011 to 2026. 7 of them are 1-mark MCQs like this one, and it is the only one in GATE CSE 2011.

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