Final answer:
The parentheses around the logical expression of an if statement are optional.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is a) True.
The parentheses around the logical expression of an if statement are indeed optional in programming languages such as C, C++, Java, and Python.
For example, in Java, the if statement can be written with or without parentheses:
- With parentheses: if (condition) { // code }
- Without parentheses: if condition { // code }