Final answer:
The Left Shift (<<) operator shifts all the bits of its operand to the left, which essentially multiplies the value by two with each shift. It is a bitwise operator used in programming and can lead to an increase or decrease in value, and potentially the loss of information if bits are shifted out of the integer's boundary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Left Shift (<<) operator in programming languages is a bitwise operator that shifts all the bits of its operand to the left by a certain number of places. This operation effectively multiplies the operand by 2 for each shift to the left because binary numbers gain a higher value as they are shifted left - think of it as adding zeros to the end of a number in the decimal system. The association can be remembered with the mnemonic: Less (decrease) is a Left shift (both less and left start with L).
For example, in binary, 2 is represented as 10. If we left shift by 1 (2 << 1), we get 100 in binary, which is 4 in decimal. Each left shift doubles the number, representing an increase in its value. However, it's essential to note that left shifting can also result in the loss of information if the left-most bits are shifted out of the operand's size boundaries (e.g., 32-bit or 64-bit integers).