a = [1, 2, 3]
a[-1] += a.pop()
This results in [1, 6].
a = [1, 2, 3]
a[0] += a.pop()
This results in [4, 2]. What order of evaluation gives these two results?
RHS first and then LHS. And at any side, the evaluation order is left to right.
a[-1] += a.pop() is same as, a[-1] = a[-1] + a.pop()
a = [1,2,3]
a[-1] = a[-1] + a.pop() # a = [1, 6]
See how the behavior changes when we change the order of the operations at RHS,
a = [1,2,3]
a[-1] = a.pop() + a[-1] # a = [1, 5]
The key insight is that a[-1] += a.pop() is syntactic sugar for a[-1] = a[-1] + a.pop(). This holds true because += is being applied to an immutable object (an int here) rather than a mutable object (relevant question here).
The right hand side (RHS) is evaluated first. On the RHS: equivalent syntax is a[-1] + a.pop(). First, a[-1] gets the last value 3. Second, a.pop() returns 3.
3 + 3 is 6.
On the Left hand side (LHS), a is now [1,2] due to the in-place mutation already applied by list.pop() and so the value of a[-1] is changed from 2 to 6.
Let's have a look at the output of dis.dis for a[-1] += a.pop()1):
3 15 LOAD_FAST 0 (a) # a,
18 LOAD_CONST 5 (-1) # a, -1
21 DUP_TOP_TWO # a, -1, a, -1
22 BINARY_SUBSCR # a, -1, 3
23 LOAD_FAST 0 (a) # a, -1, 3, a
26 LOAD_ATTR 0 (pop) # a, -1, 3, a.pop
29 CALL_FUNCTION 0 (0 positional, 0 keyword pair) # a, -1, 3, 3
32 INPLACE_ADD # a, -1, 6
33 ROT_THREE # 6, a, -1
34 STORE_SUBSCR # (empty)
The meaning of the different instructions is listed here.
First, LOAD_FAST and LOAD_CONST load a and -1 onto the stack, and DUP_TOP_TWO duplicates the two, before BINARY_SUBSCR gets the subscript value, resulting in a, -1, 3 on the stack. It then loads a again, and LOAD_ATTR loads the pop function, which is called with no arguments by CALL_FUNCTION. The stack is now a, -1, 3, 3, and INPLACE_ADD adds the top two values. Finally, ROT_THREE rotates the stack to 6, a, -1 to match the order expected by STORE_SUBSCR and the value is stored.
So, in short, the current value of a[-1] is evaluated before calling a.pop() and the result of the addition is then stored back to the new a[-1], irrespective of its current value.
1) This is the disassembly for Python 3, slightly compressed to better fit on the page, with an added column showing the stack after # ...; for Python 2 it looks a bit different, but similar.