Deadlock prevention is a strategy used in computer science to avoid situations where two or more processes cannot proceed because each is waiting for the other to release resources. By ensuring that at least one of the necessary conditions for deadlock cannot occur, systems can maintain smooth operation. These conditions include mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait. One common method of deadlock prevention is to impose an ordering on resource allocation. For instance, if processes must request resources in a specific sequence, it can eliminate the possibility of circular wait. This proactive approach helps maintain system stability and efficiency.