What role does assembly language serve in programming?

Assembly language plays a crucial role in programming by providing a set of human-readable instructions that correspond closely to machine code, which is binary code that a computer's processor understands. Unlike high-level programming languages, which are more abstract and easier for humans to read and write, assembly language acts as a bridge between high-level languages and the machine code that operates the hardware directly.

This human-readable format consists of mnemonics and symbols that represent instructions and data, making it easier for programmers to write and understand low-level operations without needing to work directly with binary code. Each assembly language instruction typically corresponds to a single operation executed by the CPU, allowing for precise control over hardware. This level of control can be critical for tasks that require optimization and efficiency, such as system programming, embedded systems, and performance-intensive applications.

The other options do not accurately represent the primary function of assembly language. It is not solely about mathematical computations, nor is it a type of machine code; rather, it serves as a more understandable representation of machine code. Additionally, it is not limited to graphic design purposes, as it is widely used in various programming contexts involving hardware operations and low-level system tasks.