Consider a set of n tasks with known runtimes r1, r2, …, rn to be run on a…
2017
Consider a set of n tasks with known runtimes r1, r2, …, rn to be run on a uniprocessor machine. Which of the following processor scheduling algorithm will result in the maximum throughput?
- A.
Priority scheduling
- B.
Round-robin
- C.
FCFS
- D.
Shortest job first
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Correct answer: D
Answer: Shortest Job First (SJF)
Why this maximizes throughput:
SJF runs the shortest tasks first, so more tasks finish earlier compared to schedules that run long tasks first.
By minimizing average turnaround/completion time, SJF increases the number of completed jobs in a given time period, which is the definition of higher throughput.
This reasoning assumes that task runtimes are known in advance and scheduling overhead (like context-switch cost) is negligible.
When tasks arrive over time, the preemptive variant Shortest Remaining Time First (SRTF) applies the same principle and further helps short tasks complete earlier.
Conclusion: Shortest Job First maximizes throughput by completing more jobs earlier under the usual assumptions of known runtimes and negligible overhead.