What causes a StackOverflowError in Java when using JPA?

A StackOverflowError in Java, especially within a JPA context, often arises from infinite recursion or excessively deep call stacks. This can happen when your JPA entity mappings are incorrectly configured, leading to circular dependencies between entities. For instance, entity A references entity B, and entity B references entity A, causing the JVM to repeatedly call methods and exhaust the stack space. Debugging involves examining entity mappings for circular references and ensuring that relationships are properly managed (e.g., using `@ManyToOne` with `CascadeType.emptyset` or `@OneToMany` with appropriate fetch strategies).