I am asking about Python generators. How do you use them? For example, how does the yield statement work?

A generator is a special type of iterator in Python that yields values one at a time, pausing its state between each yield. It is defined like a normal function but uses the yield keyword instead of return. When a generator function is called, it returns a generator object without executing the function body. Each call to next() on that object runs the function until it hits a yield, returns the yielded value, and suspends execution. Subsequent next() calls resume from that point.

Example:

def countdown(n):
    while n > 0:
        yield n
        n -= 1

for i in countdown(3):
    print(i)

Output: 3 2 1

Generators are memory‑efficient for large or infinite sequences, allow lazy evaluation, and can be used in for loops, comprehensions, or passed to functions like sum() or max().