Subject

    Computer Science

    Topic

    Computer Hardware

    What is the 'locality of reference' principle, and why is it important for cache memory?

    a)
    It states that all memory locations are accessed with equal probability.
    b)
    It describes the tendency of a processor to access the same set of memory locations repetitively over a short period.
    c)
    It is a security principle that restricts programs to specific memory regions.
    d)
    It is the method for calculating physical memory addresses.

    Explanation

    This principle has two main types: temporal locality (recently accessed items are likely to be accessed again soon) and spatial locality (items with nearby addresses are likely to be accessed soon). Cache memory works effectively because it exploits this principle by storing recently or nearby accessed data for fast retrieval.

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