Java 8 introduced significant enhancements in garbage collection, including the removal of PermGen and the introduction of String deduplication in the G1 Collector, which improve performance and reduce memory usage for applications with large heaps. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) actually offers four different garbage collection algorithms—Serial, Parallel, CMS, and G1—each with unique advantages and disadvantages, challenging the common misconception that only one exists. These algorithms are generational, dividing the heap into segments based on the assumption that most objects are short-lived. The choice of garbage collector affects application pauses and throughput, with the Serial Collector being suited for single-threaded environments, the Parallel Collector for applications that can tolerate pauses, the CMS Collector for long-running server applications averse to freezes, and the G1 Collector designed for heaps larger than 4GB. Java 8's changes, like the removal of PermGen, have addressed past challenges such as OutOfMemory exceptions, and the introduction of String deduplication in the G1 Collector optimizes memory usage by avoiding multiple copies of identical strings. These enhancements, combined with container technologies, support a shift towards microservice architectures, allowing multiple JVMs per machine and mitigating long "stop the world" pauses associated with large heaps.