What is the purpose of an array in programming?

The purpose of an array in programming is to store a collection of values. An array is a data structure that provides a way to group multiple items of the same type together, allowing for organized and efficient access to those values. Each item in the array can be accessed using an index, which makes it easy to retrieve or modify different elements within the collection. For example, if you have a list of scores for students, storing those scores in an array allows you to quickly reference, update, or iterate through the scores for various computations or display purposes.

In contrast, holding a single value is not an appropriate use for an array, as arrays are designed to manage multiple values. Performing mathematical functions or converting data types are tasks typically handled by different programming constructs or functions but do not specifically define the primary function of an array. Thus, using an array directly relates to its main purpose of handling collections of data.