Signals play a crucial role in operating systems by providing asynchronous notifications to processes about specific events or conditions. Understanding how to handle signals such as `sigint` (interrupt), `sigterm` (termination), and `sigkill` (force kill) is essential for creating responsive applications. In Go, signals can be intercepted using the `os/signal` package, allowing developers to implement signal handlers that can override default behaviors for graceful shutdowns, enabling tasks like resource cleanup and stat reporting when a process is asked to terminate. The difference between these signals is significant: while `sigint` allows for graceful exits, `sigkill` forces immediate termination, demonstrating the need for careful signal management in application design. Embracing these concepts lays the groundwork for managing application lifecycles effectively.