GATE CS 2014 Set 3 — Question 28

MCQ+1 / -0.33MediumActivation RecordsRuntime EnvironmentsCompiler DesignStack AllocationHeap & Garbage Collection

Compiler Design → Runtime Environments → Activation Records

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

Which of the following statements are CORRECT? 1) Static allocation of all data areas by a compiler makes it impossible to implement recursion. 2) Automatic garbage collection is essential to implement recursion. 3) Dynamic allocation of activation records is essential to implement recursion. 4) Both heap and stack are essential to implement recursion.

Correct answer (D) 1 and 3 only Solution 1) True : Static allocation assigns fixed memory addresses at compile time. Recursion requires multiple instances of local variables for each active call, which is impossible if addresses are fixed statically. 2) False : Garbage collection is for memory management of heap-allocated objects, not strictly required for the mechanism of recursion itself (e.g., C supports recursion without GC). 3) True : Recursion requires a stack to store activation records (local variables, return addresses) for each function call dynamically as the recursion depth increases. 4) False : While a stack is essential, a heap is not strictly required for recursion itself (only for dynamic data structures). Thus, statements 1 and 3 are correct. Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (D) 1 and 3 only Solution 1) True : Static allocation assigns fixed memory addresses at compile time. Recursion requires multiple instances of local variables for each active call, which is impossible if addresses are fixed statically. 2) False : Garbage collection is for memory management of heap-allocated objects, not strictly required for the mechanism of recursion itself (e.g., C supports recursion without GC). 3) True : Recursion requires a stack to store activation records (local variables, return addresses) for each function call dynamically as the recursion depth increases. 4) False : While a stack is essential, a heap is not strictly required for recursion itself (only for dynamic data structures). Thus, statements 1 and 3 are correct.

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