2015/04/30 by Tyler Hannan, Chester Holtz, Hannan, Tyler +3
Computer Science · #Algorithms and Data Compression #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Logic, programming, and type systems #Programming Languages (cs.PL) #Software Testing and Debugging Techniques
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1505.00017
openalex publication_date 2015/04/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
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.