Architecture
Livelock
A condition where processes continuously change state in response to each other but make no progress.
Detailed Explanation
Unlike deadlock (no state changes), livelock involves constant activity that accomplishes nothing. For example, two polite people in a hallway repeatedly stepping aside for each other. Both are active but neither advances.
In hardware, livelock can occur in arbitration schemes where priority keeps shifting before any transaction completes. Prevention requires ensuring forward progress—eventually one party must "win."