Memory management in Python and Java involves different approaches due to the nature of each language. In Java, memory management is handled using the Garbage Collection (GC) mechanism. Java's heap is divided into different generations: Young, Old, and Permanent generations. The Garbage Collector automatically reclaims memory by removing objects that are no longer referenced. Developers don't need to manually free memory, but they can influence GC by using System.gc().

In Python, memory management is handled by a combination of reference counting and a cyclic garbage collector. Every object in Python has a reference count, and when the reference count drops to zero, the memory is immediately freed. However, Python also has a cyclic GC to deal with reference cycles, which the reference counting mechanism alone cannot handle. Python's memory management relies heavily on dynamic typing and does not use explicit memory management commands like in Java.

While both languages offer automatic memory management, Java provides more control over garbage collection, whereas Python simplifies the process but can sometimes be slower due to its dynamic nature.

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