Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC2100 C949 Data Structures and Algorithms I Practice Exam

The term that describes an integer counter reflecting the number of variables referencing an object is known as the reference count. This concept is integral in memory management, particularly in garbage collection systems, where it helps in determining when an object in memory can be safely deallocated. When the reference count of an object drops to zero, it indicates that no variables are referencing that object anymore, allowing the system to reclaim that memory.

In contrast, the other terms listed do not accurately define this concept. "Object Count" could imply the total number of objects in memory, but it does not specifically relate to the references to a particular object. "Variable Count" might suggest a number of variable instances, yet it doesn't convey the notion of how many of those link to a given object. "Pointer Count" similarly suggests a count of pointers but lacks the specificity of reference counting as it pertains to actual references to an object rather than just pointers in memory. Thus, the most precise term for describing this scenario is indeed the reference count.