Definition of paging: Which statement correctly defines paging in operating systems, focusing on how programs and memory are subdivided?

Introduction / Context:Paging is a fundamental virtual memory technique that simplifies allocation and avoids external fragmentation by using fixed-size units. Understanding its definition distinguishes it from address spaces, CPU scheduling, and generic multiprogramming concepts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Programs (logical memory) are divided into pages of equal size.
• Physical memory is divided into frames of the same size.
• Hardware/OS translate addresses page-by-page.

Concept / Approach:

Paging breaks the program into pages and maps them to physical frames, enabling noncontiguous allocation. Option A captures this exactly. Option B describes the address space. Option C refers to CPU time allocation (scheduling), not memory. Option D describes the outcome of multiprogramming, not the specific mechanism of paging.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

OS literature defines paging precisely this way and contrasts it with segmentation (variable-sized units) and contiguous allocation (prone to external fragmentation).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• consists of addresses that may be generated: That is the virtual address space.
• allocating processor time: CPU scheduling, not memory management.
• allows multiple programs to reside: True of multiprogramming, not paging’s definition.
• None of the above: Incorrect because A is correct.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing paging with segmentation; believing frames can differ in size from pages; assuming paging eliminates all fragmentation (it eliminates external, not internal fragmentation).

Final Answer:

is a method of memory allocation by which the program is subdivided into equal portions, or pages and core is subdivided into equal portions or blocks.