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What is the purpose of garbage collection in Python?

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The purpose of garbage collection in Python is to automatically manage the memory used by the program. When a program creates an object, it is allocated a block of memory. If the program is no longer using that object, that block of memory is considered "garbage" and can be reclaimed for use by other parts of the program.

Garbage collection is the process by which the Python interpreter automatically frees up memory used by objects that are no longer being used or referenced in the program. This helps to prevent memory leaks, where memory is allocated but not released, leading to the program using up more and more memory until it crashes.

Python uses a garbage collector that runs periodically to identify objects that are no longer being used, and then frees up the memory allocated to those objects. This process is automatic and transparent to the programmer, making it easier to write Python programs without worrying about memory management.