What does the remainder symbol (%) represent in Java?

The remainder symbol (%) in Java represents the remainder operation, which is used to find the remainder of the division of one number by another. When you use this operator between two integers, it performs division and returns the remainder of that division. For example, when you calculate 10 % 3, the result is 1 because when 10 is divided by 3, it can be evenly divided 3 times (which totals 9), and the remainder is 1.

This operator is particularly useful in various programming scenarios, such as determining if a number is even or odd (for example, num % 2 equals 0 for even numbers) or when implementing cyclic behavior (like looping through array indices). Understanding the functionality of the remainder operator is essential for effectively solving problems that involve division and modular arithmetic in programming.