Buddy memory allocation

Imagine you have different toys, and you want to put them in boxes to keep them organized. Buddy memory allocation is like finding the perfect box for each toy so that they all fit nicely and you don't waste any space.

In computer programming, we have something called memory, which is like a big box with lots of small boxes inside. These small boxes are called memory blocks, and they hold information like numbers, letters, or pictures.

Sometimes, we need to store bigger things in our memory than a single memory block can hold. That's when buddy memory allocation comes into play.

Buddy memory allocation works by dividing the memory into smaller parts, just like cutting a big cake into smaller slices. Each slice, or memory block, has a certain size.

When we want to store something in the memory, we look for a memory block that is big enough to fit what we want to store. For example, if we have a toy car, we look for a memory block that is big enough to fit the car.

But what if we don't have a memory block exactly the right size for our toy car? This is where buddy memory allocation is really clever.

Instead of trying to find an exact fit, buddy memory allocation looks for the next biggest memory block that can be split in half to create two smaller memory blocks. These two smaller memory blocks are called "buddies" because they come from one bigger block.

Let's say we have a memory block that is twice as big as our toy car. Buddy memory allocation will split the memory block into two equal halves. We can put our toy car in one of the halves, and the other half becomes a new memory block.

Now, if we want to store something bigger than our toy car, we can repeat the process. We look for the next bigger memory block that can be split in half, and we keep going until we find a memory block that is just the right size.

When we don't need a memory block anymore, buddy memory allocation is also smart enough to merge the two smaller blocks back together to make the bigger block again. This way, we don't waste any space in our memory.

So, buddy memory allocation is like finding the perfect box for each toy, even if it's not exactly the right size. It divides the memory into smaller parts and keeps track of which parts are empty or full, so everything fits nicely and nothing goes to waste.