Explanation:
Process synchronization is a technique used in operating systems to coordinate the execution of concurrent processes, ensuring data consistency and preventing race conditions.

Synchronization mechanisms are essential when multiple processes or threads access shared resources simultaneously. Common techniques include semaphores, mutexes, and monitors.

The primary goals of process synchronization are mutual exclusion, progress, and bounded waiting to ensure efficient process execution and data integrity.

Formal Definition:
Process synchronization is the coordination of concurrent process execution to ensure data consistency and prevent conflicts when accessing shared resources in an operating system.

Additional Information:
Race conditions occur when multiple processes access shared resources without proper synchronization, leading to unpredictable results.

Deadlock, a common synchronization issue, occurs when processes are waiting indefinitely for each other to release resources. Proper synchronization mechanisms prevent such issues by controlling process access to shared data.