3. MEMORY MANAGEMENT

Memory management is a key function of the Operating System (OS) that controls how main memory (RAM) is used by processes. It decides:

  • Which process gets how much memory

  • When a process gets memory

  • When memory is freed and reused

Key Responsibilities of Memory Management:

🔢 Function Explanation
1️⃣ Tracks memory usage Keeps record of each memory block — whether allocated or free.
2️⃣ Allocates memory Gives memory to processes when they need it.
3️⃣ Manages swapping Moves processes in and out of memory to/from disk during execution.
4️⃣ Deallocates memory Frees up memory when a process finishes or no longer needs it.
5️⃣ Prevents conflicts Ensures one process doesn't use memory assigned to another (memory protection).

Why Memory Management Is Important:

  • Ensures efficient use of memory.

  • Supports multitasking by managing multiple processes.

  • Helps avoid crashes or corruption due to memory conflicts.

  • Balances speed vs. space (RAM is fast but limited; disk is slow but large).