What is the purpose of the wait method in Java?

In Java, the wait method is used for communication between threads. It causes a thread to enter a waiting state until another thread calls the notify or notifyAll method to wake it up.

Specific functions include:

1. Coordinating and synchronizing threads: The wait method is usually used together with the synchronized keyword. When the wait method is called after obtaining the object lock, it will release the object lock and enter a waiting state until another thread calls the notify or notifyAll method on the same object to wake it up.
2. Prevent busy waiting of threads: By calling the wait method, a thread can release CPU execution time, avoiding unnecessary resource waste.
3. Inter-thread communication: The wait method can be used for communication between threads, allowing them to pass information or data by using a mechanism of waiting and waking up.

It should be noted that the wait method should be called within a synchronized block, as only the thread that has acquired the object lock can call the wait method. Additionally, the wait method can also be interrupted while waiting, and interrupt logic can be handled by catching the InterruptedException.