Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Representing 2D arrays refers to the process of storing and accessing data in a two-dimensional grid-like structure. It allows for efficient manipulation and organization of data that has both rows and columns.
Related terms
Memory Representation: Memory representation is how data is stored in computer memory. When representing 2D arrays, it involves allocating contiguous blocks of memory to store the elements of the array in row-major or column-major order.
A nested array is an array within another array. In the context of representing 2D arrays, it means having an array where each element is also an array, forming a multidimensional structure.
Indexing: Indexing refers to accessing specific elements within an array using their position or index value. In the case of representing 2D arrays, indexing allows us to retrieve or modify individual elements by specifying both row and column indices.