What is the purpose of using comparison operators in programming?

The purpose of using comparison operators in programming is to compare values and establish relationships between them. Comparison operators, such as equal to (==), not equal to (!=), greater than (>), less than (<), and others, allow programmers to evaluate expressions and determine whether specific conditions are met. This is fundamental in controlling the flow of a program, as it enables the use of conditional statements like if-else, loops, and other constructs that depend on the evaluation of conditions.

By establishing relationships between different values, comparison operators are key in decision-making processes within a program, allowing for dynamic behavior based on varying inputs and states. The ability to compare values is essential in various scenarios, such as validating user inputs, sorting data, and implementing algorithms that depend on conditional logic.

Other choices are focused on different aspects of programming; defining variables relates to storing data, performing mathematical calculations involves arithmetic operators, and storing constants pertains to assigning unchanging values to variables. These do not center around the function and utility of comparison operators, which specifically assess and relate different values.