What does polymorphism allow objects to do?

Polymorphism is a core concept in object-oriented programming that allows objects to behave differently based on their context or the data types they are dealing with. This capability enables a single interface or function to work with different data types or objects, providing flexibility and allowing for dynamic method resolution.

For example, consider a common interface defined for various shapes, such as a method named "calculateArea." Different shape classes like Circle, Square, and Triangle can implement this method in a way that is specific to their shape. When you call the "calculateArea" method on different shape objects, each object will execute its own version of the method, based on its context. This ability to redefine methods in derived classes allows for cleaner code and enhances the ability to extend and maintain software systems.

This functionality fosters code reusability and extensibility, accommodating a dynamic range of behaviors and enabling the implementation of more complex interactions in software design, which is essential for systems analysis and design.