In this demonstration, we interact with a shared variable, counter, that is accessed concurrently by multiple threads. Specifically, we spawn 2 writer threads that increment the counter in a loop and 8 reader threads that continuously read its value. The program is designed to terminate once the counter reaches the TARGET_VALUE.

Key principles to note in this scenario include:

• Multiple threads can simultaneously read the value of the counter without blocking each other.
• A writer thread is restricted from updating the counter's value if either another writer is already performing an update, or if any readers are currently accessing the value.
• Similarly, a reader thread is prevented from accessing the counter if a writer thread is updating its value.

This example showcases the utility of a Reader-Writer lock, which allows multiple threads to read the counter concurrently without significant blocking. This concurrent read capability ensures better performance compared to a scenario where a standard mutex might be used, leading to slower execution due to more restrictive access control.