Understanding Garbage Collection in the Java Virtual Machine
Jul 25, 2025 am 02:43 AMGarbage collection (GC) of JVM automatically manages memory through the tag-cleaning algorithm, marks accessible objects in the tag stage, recycles unreachable objects in the clear stage, and organizes memory fragments in the optional compression stage; 2. Based on the generational hypothesis, the heap is divided into young generations (Eden and two Survivor areas, frequently performs fast Minor GC) and old generations (storing long-life-cycle objects, and less time-consuming Major GC), as well as Metaspace for storing class metadata; 3. Modern commonly used GCs include G1 (balanced pause and throughput, suitable for most scenarios), ZGC (extremely low pause, suitable for large heaps), Shenandoah (low pause and multi-core optimization), Parallel GC (throughput priority) and Serial GC (small application); 4. The GC triggering time is full, there is still no sufficient allocation space after calling System.gc() prompt or Minor GC; 5. It is recommended to use -XX: UseG1GC, reasonably set -Xms and -Xmx, and the monitoring tool to troubleshoot frequent Full GC problems, but it cannot force GC and finalize() is deprecated. You should use Cleaner or try-with-resources to end.
Garbage Collection (GC) in the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is a form of automatic memory management that reclaims memory occurred by objects no longer in use by the application. Instead of requiring developers to manually deallocate memory (like in C or C ), Java handles this behind the scenes — reducing memory leaks and dangling pointer bugs.

How Garbage Collection Works
The JVM uses a mark-and-sweep algorithm (with many modern variations) to identify and remove unused objects:
- Mark Phase : The GC traverses the object graph starting from "root" references (like static fields, local variables on the stack, etc.) and marks all objects that are still reachable.
- Sweep Phase : Unmarked objects are considered garbage and their memory is reclaimed.
- Compact Phase (optional): To reduce memory fragmentation, live objects may be moved together so that free space is continuous.
General Hypothesis
The JVM divides the heap into generations based on the observation that most objects die young:

- Young Generation – where new objects start.
- Divided into Eden space and two Survivor spaces (S0 and S1).
- Minor GC runs here frequently and is usually fast.
- Old (Tenured) Generation – long-lived objects are promoted here.
- Major GC (or Full GC) occurs less often but take longer.
- Metaspace (replaced PermGen in Java 8) – holds class metadata, not object instances.
This design makes GC more efficient: young objects are collected quickly, while older ones are checked less often.
Common Garbage Collectors in Modern JVMs
Collector | Best For | Key Traits |
---|---|---|
G1 (Garbage-First) | Balanced pause times & throughput | Predictable pauses, divides heap into regions |
ZGC | Very low pause times ( | Scalable, concurrent, for large heaps |
Shenandoah | Low pause times, multi-core | Concurrent compaction, minimizes stop-the-world |
Parallel GC | Throughput-focused apps | Multi-threaded, stops the world during GC |
Serial GC | Small apps or single-core systems | Simple, single-threaded, minimum overhead |
When Does GC Run?
- When the heap is full or nearly full.
- When calling
System.gc()
(but this is just a hint — JVM may ignore it). - During allocation if no space is available after a minor GC.
Tuning GC (Quick Tips)
- Use
-XX: UseG1GC
for most modern applications. - Monitor with tools like
jstat
,jconsole
, or VisualVM. - Watch for frequent Full GCs — they often indicate memory leaks or undersized heap.
- Set heap size appropriately:
-Xms
(initial) and-Xmx
(max).
What You Can't Control (But Should Know)
- You can't force GC — only suggest it.
- Finalizers (
finalize()
) are deprecated; preferCleaner
or try-with-resources. - GC behavior varies between JVM versions and vendors (OpenJDK, Oracle, Azul, etc.).
Understanding GC helps you write better Java code — not by avoiding it, but by writing in a way that plays nicely with it: minimize object churn, reuse where possible, and profile under real-world loads.

Basically, GC is your silent partner in memory safety — know how it works, and it'll work better for you.
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