Which of the following is used to create a processing decision branch using comparison operators?

A Boolean statement is essential for creating a processing decision branch because it evaluates to either true or false, allowing the program to determine which path to follow based on conditions. Comparison operators, such as <, >, ==, and !=, are commonly used within Boolean statements to compare values. For example, in a conditional statement like "if (x > 10)", the Boolean expression evaluates whether x is greater than 10. If it is true, the code within that branch executes; if false, the code may either skip that branch or move to an alternative branch, thus enabling decision-making in the program flow.

The other options serve different roles in programming. A function definition outlines a reusable block of code meant to perform a particular task, while a loop is used for repeating a set of instructions multiple times. An algorithm represents a sequence of steps to solve a problem but does not inherently involve decision-making without the inclusion of Boolean statements.