What does the array index refer to?

The array index refers to the position of an element in the array. In programming, arrays are data structures that store a collection of items, typically of the same type, and each element within the array is accessed using a specific index. This index is a numerical value that represents its specific location within the array, allowing programmers to efficiently access and manipulate the data stored in that position.

For example, in a zero-indexed array, the index of the first element is 0, the second element is 1, and so forth. This means that understanding the array index is crucial for navigating through the elements of the array and performing operations such as retrieval, updating, or deleting entries. The use of indexes is fundamental in programming languages such as Python, Java, and C++ when working with arrays.