Explain the difference between 'merge' and 'join' methods in Pandas.
Instruction: Provide a detailed comparison between the 'merge' and 'join' methods, including their default behaviors.
Context: Candidates should demonstrate their understanding of the nuances between merging and joining DataFrames, including how indexes play a role in each method.
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The 'merge' function in Pandas is fundamentally used for combining two DataFrames based on one or more keys. This is somewhat akin to SQL JOIN operations. By default, 'merge' performs an inner join, meaning it returns only those rows that have common characteristics in both DataFrames...