What is the definition of the virtual address space for a Windows process?

The definition of the virtual address space for a Windows process is accurately captured by the statement that it is a set of virtual memory addresses the process can use. Virtual address space allows a process to use a large range of addresses that are not directly correlated to physical memory locations. This abstraction enables better memory management and provides each process with its own address space, which enhances isolation and security.

This virtual addressing enables the operating system to utilize techniques such as paging and segmentation, allowing processes to run efficiently without interfering with each other's memory. Each process believes it has its own contiguous block of memory, while in reality, memory management translates these virtual addresses to physical addresses in a more efficient manner.

In contrast, references to the actual physical location of an object in memory do not reflect the purpose of virtual address space; it is an abstraction layer rather than a physical representation. Similarly, the definition that refers to the set of pages currently residing in physical memory does not encompass the whole virtual address space concept, which includes addresses that may not currently be in physical memory but are available for use. Lastly, while memory protection is a feature of operating systems, it does not define the virtual address space itself, but rather relates to how the OS secures this abstraction to prevent processes