Message passing system allows processes to __________

Two classic IPC (Inter-Process Communication) models let processes coordinate: a shared-memory model, where processes map a common memory region and read/write it directly (needing explicit synchronization to avoid race conditions), and a message-passing model, where processes exchange information only through discrete send/receive messages routed by the OS, each keeping its own private address space.

The blank asks what a message-passing system specifically allows processes to do. By definition, message passing gives processes a way to communicate purely through message exchange, without ever sharing memory or address space -- that is exactly the capability being tested.

• Resorting to shared data / sharing data directly describes the shared-memory model -- the alternate IPC technique, not message passing.

• Naming the recipient or sender is only an addressing detail of how a message is routed (direct vs indirect addressing) -- not the core capability the blank is asking about.

So message passing systems allow processes to communicate with each other without sharing the same address space.