> Since the missile will explode when it hits its target or at the end of its flight, the ultimate in garbage collection is performed without programmer intervention.
I would argue that the missile performs the ultimate in physical garbage creation at the end of its flight.
Re:What is malloc doing, anyway?
by cadamsdotcom on Monday November 09, 2026 @06:33PM
(#50433909)
Whoosh
What I'd love is for an article that goes a step back in allocator theory instead of "forward" to jemalloc/mimalloc. Optimal resource allocation has a rich history in pre-computer fields whose general theories are applicable today. Replace "linear memory" with "paper roll" and "types" with "items", and instead of malloc you have the cutting stock problem! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_stock_problem
The reason why allocator fundamentals are important is because there is no universally optimal solution. jemalloc "emphasizes fragmentation avoidance and scalable concurrency support" while mimalloc focuses on a bounded worst-case allocation latency. Meanwhile if you're writing extremely memory constrained code for certain embedded systems, you may still be best off using a simple bump allocator with no free! https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20180228-00/?p=98... The optimal resource allocation strategy is always use case dependent.