The Tricolor Algorithm

Let’s learn about the tricolor algorithm in Go.

We'll cover the following...

Introduction to the tricolor algorithm
Garbage collection process and object coloring
- Mutator and write barrier roles

The operation of the Go GC is based on the tricolor algorithm. Note that the tricolor algorithm is not unique to Go and can be used in other programming languages as well.

Introduction to the tricolor algorithm

Strictly speaking, the official name for the algorithm used in Go is the tricolor mark-and-sweep algorithm. It can work concurrently with the program and uses a write barrier. This means that when a Go program runs, the Go scheduler is responsible for the scheduling of the application as well as the GC, which also runs as a goroutine. This is as if the Go scheduler must deal with a regular application with multiple goroutines!

Note: ...

Course Introduction

Introduction to Go

Basic Go Data Types

Composite Data Types

Reflection and Interfaces

Go Packages and Functions

Telling a UNIX System What to Do

Go Concurrency

Building Web Services

Working with TCP/IP and WebSocket

Working with REST APIs

Code Testing and Profiling

Working with gRPC

Go Generics

Conclusion

Appendix A—Go Garbage Collector

The Tricolor Algorithm

Introduction to the tricolor algorithm