How is an array defined in programming?

An array is defined as a collection of elements of the same data type stored contiguously in memory. This means that all the elements within an array occupy adjacent memory locations, allowing for efficient access and manipulation of the data.

The uniformity of data types within an array is crucial because it enables the programming language's memory management system to handle the data more effectively, performing operations such as indexing and looping without the need for additional type checks. Elements can be accessed using their index, making the retrieval of values direct and fast.

Contiguity in memory is beneficial for performance reasons, as it enhances cache utilization—when one element is accessed, the nearby elements are likely to be loaded into the cache as well, leading to improved execution speed. This is a foundational concept in programming and is widely applied in various areas, such as algorithms and data structure design.

In contrast, defining an array as a collection of different data types would contradict the fundamental nature of arrays in most programming languages, which require uniformity among the data types. Additionally, a single value stored in memory does not describe the concept of an array, as an array encompasses multiple elements. Lastly, a set of functions organized in a class pertains to the concepts of object-oriented programming and