Python manages memory automatically through reference counting and generational garbage collection. Reference counting tracks how many pointers reference each object and frees memory immediately when the count reaches zero. However, circular references (objects pointing to each other) can't be handled by reference counting alone, requiring Python's generational garbage collector to detect and clean up these cycles. The gc module allows developers to inspect collection behavior, view generation thresholds, and manually trigger garbage collection when needed.
Table of contents
IntroductionWhat Are References in Python?Okay, But What Is a “Circular” Reference?How Python Manages Memory Using Reference Counting & Generational Garbage CollectionUsing Python’s gc Module to Inspect CollectionConclusion436 Impressions