Memory Segmentation

Memory Segmentation is a fundamental concept in operating system design where a process's memory is logically divided into distinct segments for different functionalities.

The address space depicted is a 4GB range for a 32-bit system, where memory addresses span from 0x00000000 to 0xFFFFFFFF. This division into segments is crucial for both performance and security.

The address space is divided into two primary parts: the user space, which occupies the lower 3GB (from 0x00000000 to 0xBFFFFFFF), and the kernel space, which takes up the upper 1GB (from 0xC0000000 to 0xFFFFFFFF). User-level applications can only access their designated user space, while the kernel space is reserved for the operating system kernel, ensuring that user applications do not inadvertently or maliciously alter critical system functions.