Rust's borrow checker ensures memory safety by enforcing strict ownership rules. It prevents data races and null pointer dereferences, making code more reliable but challenging to write initially.

Rust performance optimization: Profile code, optimize algorithms, manage memory efficiently, use concurrency wisely, leverage compile-time optimizations. Focus on bottlenecks, avoid premature optimization, and continuously refine your approach.

Rust excels in real-time systems due to memory safety, performance, and concurrency. It enables predictable execution, efficient resource management, and safe hardware interaction for time-sensitive applications.

Rust's custom allocators offer tailored memory management. Implement GlobalAlloc trait for control. Pool allocators pre-allocate memory blocks. Bump allocators are fast but don't free individual allocations. Useful for embedded systems and performance optimization.

Building an RTOS with Rust: Fast, safe language for real-time systems. Involves creating bootloader, memory management, task scheduling, interrupt handling, and implementing synchronization primitives. Challenges include balancing performance with features and thorough testing.

Higher-kinded types in Rust allow abstraction over type constructors, enhancing generic programming. Though not natively supported, the community simulates HKTs using clever techniques, enabling powerful abstractions without runtime overhead.

Rust emphasizes safety and security. Best practices include updating toolchains, careful memory management, minimal unsafe code, proper error handling, input validation, using established cryptography libraries, and regular dependency audits.

Rust's borrow checker ensures safe memory management in complex data structures. It enforces ownership rules, preventing data races and null pointer dereferences. Techniques like using indices and interior mutability help navigate challenges in implementing linked lists and graphs.