An Application Layer process needs to transmit data with as little overhead as possible. Which Transport Layer protocol should this process use?

The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is the most suitable choice for an Application Layer process that requires minimal overhead for data transmission. UDP operates in a connectionless manner, meaning it does not establish a connection before sending data, which significantly reduces the time and resources spent on overhead activities like handshakes and acknowledgment of packet receipt.

UDP is designed for situations where speed is prioritized over reliability. It allows for the direct transmission of data packets without waiting for the recipient to confirm that the packets have been received. This makes it ideal for applications that can tolerate some loss of data but require fast and efficient communication, such as video streaming, online gaming, and voice over IP (VoIP).

By using UDP, the application can send its data quickly without the additional features found in other protocols, such as connection management, error recovery, and flow control that are provided by the Transport Control Protocol (TCP). While this relationship between overhead and performance is essential, it's important to understand that choosing UDP means the application must handle any necessary error checking and correction if needed.