Heap allocation is required for languages that :

Answer: support dynamic data structures

Explanation:

• Key idea: Heap allocation is used when data must outlive the function call that created it.

• Dynamic data structures (for example, linked lists, trees, or objects allocated at runtime) often need memory with a lifetime independent of any single activation record, so they are allocated on the heap.

• Recursion itself is handled via the call stack (activation records). Recursion does not inherently require heap allocation unless the program also creates persistent dynamic data.

• Dynamic scope is about how names are resolved at runtime and is unrelated to whether memory must be taken from the heap.

• Example: If a function creates a linked-list node that must remain valid after the function returns, that node must be allocated on the heap; stack allocation would be reclaimed when the function ends.