Identity operators are used to compare the memory locations of two objects. They are used to check if two variables refer to the same object in memory.

Types of Identity Operators

1. is: Returns True if the operands refer to the same object
2. is not: Returns True if the operands do not refer to the same object

is operator

x = [1, 2, 3]
y = [1, 2, 3]
z = x

print(x is y)  # Output: False
print(x is z)  # Output: True

is not operator

x = [1, 2, 3]
y = [1, 2, 3]
z = x

print(x is not y)  # Output: True
print(x is not z)  # Output: False

In the above examples, x and y are different objects, so x is y returns False, while x is z returns True because x and z refer to the same object in memory. The is not operator works in the opposite way, returning True if the operands are not the same object, and False if they are.

Difference between is and ==

It is important to understand the difference between the == and is operators, == operator is used to compare the values of two variables, while is operator is used to compare the memory location of two variables.
In some cases, two variables can have the same value but different memory locations.

Similarly: is not and != operator works

The Confusion

a = 1
b = 1
print(a is b) # True
print(a == b) # True

Here, we have taken two variables a and b, and assigned them the same value 1 then

a == b returns True as well as a is b returns True.

This happened because variables that have the same value will be assigned to the same memory location.

id(): This function takes an argument and returns the memory address of that argument.

a = 1
b = 1
print(id(a), id(b))   
# 2182716063984 2182716063984
print(id(a) == id(b)) 
# True

Here, the memory locations of two different variables with the same value are also the same. That's why is operator returns True.

In summary, the identity operators are used to compare the memory location of two objects and are useful in determining if two variables refer to the same object in memory.