Which of the following best describes the behavior of the static variable num in the function givemesum?

The behavior of a static variable in a function is specifically designed to retain its value between multiple calls to that function. This characteristic allows the variable to maintain the value that it was assigned during its first execution, meaning that if the function is called again, it will start from that preserved value rather than resetting to its initial state.

In the context of the function givemesum, the static variable num will not lose its value after the function completes. This is particularly useful in scenarios where you want to keep track of a cumulative value or maintain state across calls without using global variables.

While static variables do have scope limited to the function (which relates to why num cannot be accessed outside the function) and can be initialized, those characteristics do not define their preserved value behavior. Therefore, the preservation of value between function calls is the defining trait of a static variable, making this answer the best description of num in the function.