Head-First Memory Allocation on Best-Fit with Space-Fitting

TL;DR

This paper introduces a memory allocation method that optimizes space utilization and significantly speeds up best-fit allocation by maintaining free regions at the top of memory, reducing fragmentation.

Contribution

It proposes a novel approach to best-fit memory allocation that improves speed and minimizes fragmentation by managing free regions at the top of memory.

Findings

34.86% faster allocation and deallocation

Maintains minimal external fragmentation

Optimizes memory space utilization

Abstract

Although best-fit is known to be slow, it excels at optimizing memory space utilization. Interestingly, by keeping the free memory region at the top of the memory, the process of memory allocation and deallocation becomes approximately 34.86% faster while also maintaining external fragmentation at minimum.