Assertion (A): Linked file allocation completely avoids the problem of external fragmentation inside secondary storage disks.
Reason (R): Linked allocation stores file data blocks across random scattered locations, with each block containing a hard pointer to the next block in the chain.
Assertion (A) Analysis:
True. Linked allocation allocates files as a linked list of blocks anywhere on the disk. Because any free block can be utilized to store a piece of a file regardless of contiguous placement, it completely avoids external fragmentation.
Reason (R) Analysis:
True. In linked allocation, each file is a linked list of disk blocks, where every block contains a pointer pointing to the next block in the chain, allowing blocks to be scattered randomly across the disk.
Relationship between Assertion (A) and Reason (R):
Both statements are correct, and Reason (R) explains why linked allocation avoids external fragmentation—because blocks do not need to be contiguous and can be scattered freely using pointers.