Dynamic Memory Management

What is Memory?

Every program uses RAM (Random Access Memory) to temporarily store:

• Variables and constants
• Function calls and return addresses
• Objects and data structures

There are two main areas in memory where data is stored:

Stack vs Heap

Stack Memory:

• Fast and automatically managed
• Stores local variables and function calls
• Memory is freed automatically when scope ends

void foo() {
    int x = 10;  // Stored on the stack
} // x is destroyed here

Heap Memory:

• Used for dynamic memory allocation
• Slower but more flexible
• Must be explicitly managed (with new / delete)

int* ptr = new int(5); // Allocated on heap
delete ptr;            // Must be manually deleted

Why Use Dynamic Memory?

For example:

int* arr = new int[n]; // 'n' determined at runtime

Dangers of Manual Memory Management

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.

Dynamic memory gives power—but also responsibility. Common issues include:

• Memory leaks: Forgetting to delete memory → unused memory stays reserved
• Dangling pointers: Accessing memory after it’s been freed
• Double delete: Trying to delete the same memory twice
• Buffer overflows: Writing beyond allocated memory

These issues can lead to crashes, data corruption, and security vulnerabilities.