Multitasking and multithreading are related concepts that involve the concurrent execution of multiple tasks or threads in a computing system. While they are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between the two:

Multitasking

Multitasking refers to the ability of an operating system to run multiple tasks or processes concurrently. It allows the system to allocate resources and time slices to different tasks, giving the illusion of simultaneous execution. In a multitasking environment, the CPU switches rapidly between different tasks, giving each task a fair share of CPU time. This allows users to run multiple applications simultaneously, switch between them, and perform tasks concurrently. Multitasking can be achieved through various techniques, such as time-sharing, where each task is allocated a small time slice, or through riority-based scheduling, where tasks with higher priority receive more CPU time.

Multithreading

Multithreading, on the other hand, is a programming concept that allows multiple threads of execution within a single process. A thread is an independent sequence of instructions that can be scheduled and executed concurrently with other threads. Threads share the same memory space and resources of the process they belong to. Multithreading enables a program to perform multiple tasks concurrently and take advantage of parallelism. Each thread within a process can execute its own set of instructions independently, allowing for concurrent execution of different parts of the program. Multithreading is particularly useful in scenarios where certain parts of a program can run independently or in situations where multiple tasks need to be executed concurrently, such as handling multiple client requests in a server application.

In summary, multitasking refers to the concurrent execution of multiple tasks or processes in an operating system, while multithreading refers to the concurrent execution of multiple threads within a single process. Multitasking is a system-level concept handled by the operating system, while multithreading is a programming concept that allows for concurrent execution at the application level. Both multitasking and multithreading enable efficient resource utilization and improve system responsiveness.