What is timer interrupt?

A timer interrupt is a signal generated by a hardware timer in a computer system to alert the processor that a specified time interval has elapsed. This interrupt allows the operating system to perform time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduling processes, managing system resources, or handling periodic tasks. By using timer interrupts, the system can maintain accurate timing and responsiveness, ensuring that multiple processes can run efficiently without conflicts. Overall, it's a crucial mechanism for multitasking and real-time operations in computing environments.