Describe the purpose of the 'instanceof' operator.

The ‘instanceof’ operator in Java serves the purpose of enabling runtime type checking by allowing developers to determine whether an object is an instance of a particular class or interface. This operator evaluates to true if the object on the left-hand side is an instance of the class or interface specified on the right-hand side, or a subclass/subinterface thereof. Its primary role is to facilitate conditional branching and polymorphic behavior based on the type of an object during program execution. By using ‘instanceof’, developers can perform downcasting safely, avoiding ClassCastException errors, and dynamically tailor the behavior of their code based on the actual runtime type of objects. This operator is particularly useful in scenarios where the exact type of an object is not known at compile time and needs to be determined dynamically at runtime. Overall, the ‘instanceof’ operator enhances the flexibility, robustness, and dynamic nature of Java programs by providing a mechanism for runtime type introspection and conditional behavior.