What does the tilde (~) and caret (^) notation mean in Git commit references?

Question

Git — Medium

What does the tilde (~) and caret (^) notation mean in Git commit references?

Accepted Answer

The tilde (~) and caret (^) notation in Git commit references serve distinct purposes. Specifically, ~ navigates through first-parent ancestors, while ^ selects a specific parent of a merge commit. This distinction is crucial for accurate commit referencing. Incorrect options conflate or misrepresent these notations.