Memory management is a critical computer process that dynamically allocates and frees memory for programs, enabling efficient multitasking. A key technique, virtual memory, separates a program's perceived memory from physical RAM, allowing multiple processes to share resources and even exceed available physical memory through paging or swapping.
This crucial function can be handled by the operating system, as in OS/360, or by applications themselves, common in Unix-like systems. Manual memory management, exemplified by C's malloc and free functions, requires careful handling to prevent issues like external fragmentation and memory leaks, which can severely impact system performance. Various allocation algorithms, such as fixed-size blocks (often used in video games for efficiency), are employed to optimize how memory is organized and released.