Emmanuel Palle: Virtual memory can lead to fragmentation. Fragmentation occurs when the available virtual memory is divided into small, non-contiguous blocks, hindering the efficient allocation of larger contiguous memory spaces. Two types of fragmentation can occur: external (free memory scattered throughout, but not contiguous) and internal (small gaps within allocated memory blocks).
To manage fragmentation, operating systems employ techniques like paging and segmentation. Paging divides physical and virtual memory into fixed-size blocks, allowing for efficient allocation. Segmentation divides the virtual address space into variable-sized segments. Emmanuel Palle states that the both methods help mitigate fragmentation by organizing memory in ways that facilitate allocation and deallocation of memory blocks. Additionally, memory compaction may be employed to consolidate free memory, reducing external fragmentation.
