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a group of trees with paths on either side
Figure 4.1 credit: modification of work "Fork In The Road", by Ian Sane/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

The Python interpreter follows a single path of execution when executing a program. What if a programmer wants to define multiple possible paths? Ex: Instead of always taking the left path, a program uses the path width to decide which path to take. If the left path is wider, take the right path. Else, take the left path.

A branch is a group of statements that execute based on a condition. The Expressions chapter introduced expressions. This chapter explores how expressions can be used as conditions to make decisions in programs.

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