Run it, debug it, release it.

What this Rust debug-vs-release behavior question tests

This is a medium-difficulty question that probes your understanding of how Rust's compiler optimizations and runtime checks differ between debug and release builds. It rewards careful reasoning about what the code actually does under two distinct execution environments, rather than guessing.

To approach problems like this, you need to be familiar with the assertions, bounds checks, and overflow behavior that Rust enforces differently in each mode. Debug builds prioritize catching errors early; release builds optimize for speed. The question asks you to predict and explain the observable difference when the same code runs in each context.

• Debug vs. release compiler flags and their effects
• Runtime assertions and panic behavior
• Integer overflow semantics in Rust
• How optimization passes alter execution