Final answer:
The most likely return type of the operator > for the class BigNum is bool. (option B)
Step-by-step explanation:
When implementing the operator > for the BigNum class, the most logical return type is a boolean (bool). The purpose of the greater-than operator is to compare two values and determine if the left operand is greater than the right operand. The result of such a comparison is a binary decision – either true or false, representing whether the condition is met or not.
In C++, the conventional practice for relational operators, such as >, is to return a boolean value indicating the outcome of the comparison. This makes the code more readable and aligns with the standard behavior of these operators in the language.
The other options (A, C, and D) are less appropriate for representing the outcome of a greater-than-comparison. Option A (BigNum) is unlikely because the result of a comparison is a truth value, not a numerical value. Option C (Depends on whether implemented as member, friend, or non-member/non-friend) is not as conventional for relational operators, and Option D (int) is less expressive for boolean outcomes.
The most suitable return type for the operator > in the BigNum class is bool, providing a clear and standard representation of the comparison result.