Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is c) When overlays are used, the size of a process is not limited to the size of physical memory. Overlays allow a program to be larger than the physical memory by only loading parts of it as needed, but they do not increase the size of the physical or logical memory themselves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Which of the following is TRUE? The correct answer is: c) When overlays are used, the size of a process is not limited to the size of the physical memory.
Overlays are a programming method that allows programs to be larger than the computer's physical memory by only loading the necessary parts into memory at any given time. The parts of a program are divided into segments called overlays that are only loaded as needed, effectively enabling a program to use more memory than the computer physically possesses. This way, a program can have a large logical address space without being constrained by the available physical memory.
The incorrect statements are:
- a) Overlays are used to increase the size of physical memory - This is false as overlays do not alter the physical memory itself, but rather how a program uses the memory.
- b) Overlays are used to increase the logical address space - This statement is somewhat misleading. Overlays don't directly increase the logical address space, but they allow a program to be structured in a way that can exceed the physical limits.
- d) Overlays are used whenever the physical address space is smaller than the logical address space - This statement is not always TRUE, as there are other techniques like paging and swapping that also enable the logical address space to exceed the physical address space without using overlays.