How does garbage collection work in Dart?

Dart uses a generational garbage collection algorithm based on reachability analysis. Memory is divided into generations: young (new generation) and old (old generation). New objects are created in the young generation, where garbage collection occurs more frequently and quickly, as most objects have a short lifespan.

The garbage collector tracks references to objects from root points, such as call stacks, global variables, and registers. If an object is unreachable from the roots, it is considered garbage and can be removed.

The process roughly looks like this:

• The young generation is collected often, removing short-lived objects.
• Objects that survive several collections are moved to the old generation.
• The old generation is collected less frequently, as objects there usually live longer.

This approach optimizes performance and reduces pause times for garbage collection, which is important for Flutter applications where interface smoothness is crucial.