Final answer:
A system is in a safe state when it can avoid deadlocks by allocating resources in a certain order and there is a safe sequence of processes, hence the right answer is 'both (a) and (b)'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the concept of a system being in a safe state with regard to resource allocation and deadlock avoidance in operating systems. In the context of operating systems, a system is considered to be in a safe state if it can allocate resources to each process in some order (a condition known as no deadlock) and there exists a safe sequence of processes. Consequently, the correct answer is c) both (a) and (b), which states that a safe state implies not only a certain order of resource allocation that prevents deadlocks but also that a specifically safe sequence of processes exists.
The system is in the safe state if there exists a safe sequence, meaning that the system can allocate resources to each process in some order and still avoid a deadlock. This ensures that all processes can complete their execution without getting stuck in a deadlock situation. Therefore, the correct option is (c) both (a) and (b).