Garbage Collector

In Java, the garbage collector (GC) is responsible for automatically managing the memory used by a program. The main goal of the garbage collector is to identify and reclaim memory occupied by objects that are no longer reachable or in use by the program, freeing up resources and preventing memory leaks

Here's a brief overview of how the Java garbage collector works:

  1. Object Creation:

    • When you create objects in Java using the new keyword, memory is allocated for those objects on the heap.

  2. Reference Tracking:

    • The garbage collector keeps track of references to objects. An object is considered reachable if there's at least one reference to it from an active part of the program, such as local variables, method parameters, or from other objects.

  3. Reachability Analysis:

    • Periodically, the garbage collector analyzes the heap to identify objects that are no longer reachable. This is typically done through a process called reachability analysis.

  4. Mark and Sweep:

    • The garbage collector uses a mark-and-sweep algorithm to identify and mark the reachable objects. During the marking phase, it traverses the object graph, starting from known root objects, and marks all reachable objects.
    • After marking, the sweep phase identifies and reclaims memory occupied by objects that were not marked as reachable. This memory is then made available for future object allocations.
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Garbage Collector