Dealing with Fragmentation

What this operating systems memory-management question tests

This is an easy conceptual question on memory fragmentation and defragmentation strategies. It checks whether you understand the core terminology and tradeoffs involved in managing heap allocation over time, a foundational topic in systems programming and OS design.

When a system allocates and frees memory repeatedly, free space becomes scattered across the address space in small, non-contiguous blocks. This fragmentation can prevent large allocations even when total free memory is sufficient. One classic approach to recover usable space involves reorganizing and merging adjacent free regions—a technique with a specific name that appears frequently in systems interviews and textbooks.

• External fragmentation vs. internal fragmentation
• Memory compaction and defragmentation
• Free-list management strategies
• Tradeoffs between time and space efficiency