n the following code, do a and b point to the same object? Answer with Yes or No.>>> a = 89>>> b = a

Final Answer

No.

Explanation

In Python, when you assign a variable like b = a, you are not creating a new object; instead, you're making b refer to the same object that a is pointing to. However, the key point here is that integer objects in Python are immutable. This means that when you perform an operation that changes the value, like a = a + 1, a would then point to a new integer object, while b would still point to the original integer object (89 in this case).

In your example, a is assigned an integer value of 89 and then b is set to reference a. At that moment, both a and b refer to the same integer object. However, if either variable changes to point to a different integer, they will then point to different objects. Thus, after this specific code execution, a and b do initially point to the same object. However, Python's behavior regarding mutability and reference counting is crucial for understanding object references in coding.