Correct : a

The correct answer is Option A - the false statement.
The question asks which statement about deadlock is FALSE. Let''s evaluate each:
Option A - An assignment edge is marked from a process to a resource: FALSE. This is the wrong direction. In a Resource Allocation Graph (RAG):
- A request edge goes from Process → Resource (process is waiting for it).
- An assignment edge goes from Resource → Process (resource is held by the process).
Option A has it backwards - it describes a request edge, not an assignment edge. So Option A is false and is the correct answer.
Option B - A safe state guarantees all processes can finish without deadlock: TRUE. A safe state means there exists at least one safe sequence in which every process can get its required resources and complete. The OS will never enter deadlock from a safe state.
Option C - Deadlock can be prevented by not allowing hold and wait: TRUE. Deadlock requires all four conditions simultaneously - mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait. Eliminating hold and wait (e.g., requiring processes to acquire all resources before starting) breaks the deadlock formation chain.
Option D - Banker''s algorithm is used to prevent deadlock: Broadly TRUE in this context, though technically Banker''s is a deadlock avoidance algorithm (not prevention). It checks resource requests against system state to ensure the system stays in a safe state, effectively stopping deadlock before it occurs.
The clear false statement is Option A - assignment edges run from resource to process, not the other way around.