What is the process of controlling and coordinating computer memory known as?

The process of controlling and coordinating computer memory is known as memory management. This encompasses a variety of functions that are essential for ensuring the efficient use of a computer’s memory resources. Memory management involves keeping track of each byte in a computer's memory, deciding what processes get memory, when, and for how long, as well as facilitating the allocation and deallocation of memory space as needed by different programs.

It also ensures that memory is safely shared among applications, prevents memory leaks, and optimizes the overall performance of the system. By effectively managing memory, the operating system can improve the overall efficiency of the system and help in avoiding issues like fragmentation, which can degrade performance over time.

Other choices, such as memory allocation, refer specifically to the act of assigning blocks of memory to programs or processes, while optimization could relate to improving performance without directly managing the memory itself. Memory control is a less specific term and does not fully encompass all the activities involved in managing memory effectively.