Origins of P( ) and V( )

Origin of P-V (nyu.edu)

In Operating Systems, the Dutch Computer Scientist E. W. Dijkstra introduced a pair of synchronization primitives called P( ) and V( ).

To make them understandable, we sometimes called them Down( ) and Up( ), or Wait( ) and Signal( ), etc.

Students often wonder what they stand for. So I asked a colleague, Professor Gert Vegter from Groningen University in The Netherlands.

	...
	Concerning Dijkstra's semaphores:
	it's simple: P = Plantinga, V = Vegter (:-))
	
	In fact, P = Probeer ('Try')
	and V = Verhoog ('Increment', 'Increase by one').
	These are the operations embracing the critical section.
	Dijkstra introduced these ops in 1963. Attached are 1974 lecture notes bij
	Dijkstra explaining the PV mechanism. In dutch, unfortunately...
	('Over seinpalen' = 'On semaphores')
	
	Best regards,
	Gert
	

Here is the original paper in Dutch.

Pronunication of "Dijkstra" It is a Dutch name, where the 'j' is always silent or pronounced like a 'y'. So the name should be 'dyk (bike, hike in English) -stra'.

semaphore /'seməfɔːr/
n[U] system of sending signals by holding the arms or two flags in certain positions to indicate letters of the alphabet 旗语
n[C] device with red and green lights on mechanically moved arms, used for signalling on railways （铁路的）臂板信号机

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来源： https://www.cnblogs.com/funwithwords/p/16511699.html