How does garbage collection work in Python?

Can you explain how garbage collection works in Python?

Sure! Garbage collection in Python is a mechanism for automatically managing memory. It helps to reclaim memory by removing objects that are no longer in use.

How does Python determine which objects are no longer in use?

Python primarily uses reference counting to track the number of references to each object. When an object's reference count drops to zero, it is considered unreachable and can be collected.

What about circular references? How does Python handle those?

Great question! Python also has a cyclic garbage collector that detects and collects objects involved in circular references, which reference counting alone cannot handle.

Is there a way to manually trigger garbage collection?

Yes, you can manually trigger garbage collection using the gc module. You can call gc.collect() to force a garbage collection cycle.