Which of the following statements is false about async() and runBlocking() in Kotlin?

The reason this assertion is considered false is that while both async() and runBlocking() are part of Kotlin's coroutine library, they behave differently in terms of their return types. The async() function is designed to start a coroutine that will return a value, specifically a Deferred<T> type, which allows you to retrieve the result asynchronously using the await() function.

On the other hand, runBlocking() does not return a Deferred. Instead, it is used to bridge blocking code and coroutines—a function that runs a new coroutine and blocks the current thread until its completion. When using runBlocking(), you typically receive the value returned by the block you executed as a result of runBlocking, rather than a Deferred.

In summary, the key distinction is that async() does return a Deferred, while runBlocking() does not, making the statement about both functions returning a Deferred false. This clarity helps reinforce the understanding of when to use each function effectively, especially in the context of Kotlin coroutines in Android development.