1 research outputs found
Comparative Analysis of Classic Garbage-Collection Algorithms for a Lisp-like Language
In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of Cheney's Copy Algorithm
for a Lisp-like system and experimentally show the infeasability of developing
an optimal garbage collector for general use. We summarize and compare several
garbage-collection algorithms including Cheney's Algorithm, the canonical Mark
and Sweep Algorithm, and Knuth's Classical Lisp 2 Algorithm. We implement and
analyze these three algorithms in the context of a custom MicroLisp
environment. We conclude and present the core considerations behind the
development of a garbage collector---specifically for Lisp---and make an
attempt to investigate these issues in depth. We also discuss experimental
results that imply the effectiveness of Cheney's algorithm over Mark-Sweep for
Lisp-like languages.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure