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Garbage Collection: Algorithms for Automatic Dynamic Memory Management

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đź“ś Abstract

This book is a comprehensive guide to the algorithms used for automatic dynamic memory management, known commonly as "garbage collection." It offers insight into the principles underlying garbage collection, as well as historical perspectives, rigorous descriptions of key algorithms, and modern approaches to memory management and software engineering.

✨ Summary

The paper “Garbage Collection: Algorithms for Automatic Dynamic Memory Management” by Richard Jones and Rafael Lins provides an in-depth exploration of garbage collection algorithms fundamental to computer systems, particularly in programming languages and runtime environments. Notably, this paper is often referenced as a foundational work in understanding garbage collection methodologies. Through a comprehensive explanation of various algorithms and approaches, it has influenced both academic research and practical applications in software engineering, helping guide the development of more efficient memory management systems.

Several academic references and discussions have utilized insights from this paper. The work has contributed significantly to the field of computer science, advancing understanding, and inspiring further research and development:

  1. Jones, R., & Lins, R. (1996). “Garbage Collection: Algorithms for Automatic Dynamic Memory Management.” Wiley.
  2. Wilson, P. R. (1994). “Uniprocessor Garbage Collection Techniques.” ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 26(3): 187-220. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/269389.269390
  3. Detlefs, D., Dosser, D., & Zorn, B. G. (1994). “Memory allocation costs in large C and C++ programs.” Software: Practice and Experience, 24(6): 527–542. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spe.4380240602
  4. Appel, A. W. (1989). “Simple Generational Garbage Collection and Fast Allocation.” Software: Practice and Experience. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spe.4380190206
  5. Wilson, P. R., Moher, T. G., & LeVan, G. T. (1988). “Quickly Reclaiming Space from Tainted Objects.” University of Illinois at Chicago. https://www.cs.utah.edu/plt/snapshots/robin/gc.html

While the book is broader in scope and heavily detailed, it continues to serve as an essential resource for understanding and designing garbage collection systems in contemporary software applications.