It also, assuming it follows Baker's original paper[1] (which I believe it does), allocates all objects on the stack, maintaining the invariant[2] that nothing

It also, assuming it follows Baker's original paper[1] (which I believe it does), allocates all objects on the stack, maintaining the invariant[2] that nothing on the heap points to anything on the stack, and nothing in an older stack frame points to anything in a newer stack frame; and, to maintain this invariant, it kicks things out of the stack and onto the heap whenever necessary. The stack thus serves as a nursery in a kind of generational GC. [1] "CONS Should Not CONS Its Arguments, Part II: Cheney on the M.T.A." http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/CheneyMTA.pdf http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/CheneyMTA.pdf [2] "CONS Should not CONS its Arguments, or, a Lazy Alloc is a Smart Alloc" http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/LazyAlloc.html http://home.pipeline.com/~hbaker1/LazyAlloc.html