What is a tuple in Python?

A tuple in Python is indeed defined as an immutable sequence of values. Once a tuple is created, its contents cannot be altered, which means you cannot add, remove, or change elements within it. This characteristic of immutability provides several advantages, such as making tuples hashable and allowing them to be used as keys in dictionaries, unlike mutable types. Additionally, their fixed nature can lead to performance improvements in certain scenarios since Python can optimize memory usage for immutable types.

The nature of a tuple allows it to hold various data types, much like a list, but its immutability is what significantly differentiates it from a list, which is a mutable sequence. This distinction is crucial to understand when choosing the appropriate data structure for specific use cases in programming. For example, tuples are often used for storing fixed collections of related items, such as coordinates or RGB color values.

In contrast, a mutable sequence of values describes lists, a collection of key-value pairs refers to dictionaries, and a list with mixed data types would typically be an informal description of a list without emphasizing its mutability or structure. This reinforces the clarity around the unique properties of tuples in Python.