Final answer:
The symbol representing the user home directory in Unix-based systems is the tilde (~), which is not listed in the provided options. Instead, / represents the root directory, . the current directory, and .. the parent directory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symbol that represents the user home directory in Unix-based operating systems, including Linux and macOS, is the tilde (~). When used in command-line interfaces or scripts, the tilde refers to the current user's home directory. For example, typing cd ~ would change the directory to the current user's home directory. The options provided in the question correspond to different symbols in the file system hierarchy:
- Option 1) / - Represents the root directory of the file system.
- Option 2) . - Represents the current directory.
- Option 3) .. - Represents the parent directory of the current directory.
Therefore, the tilde (~) is the symbol for the user home directory, which is not explicitly listed in the provided options.