In C programming, a multidimensional array is an array that contains two or more dimensions or levels. It is a way to represent data in a tabular form with rows and columns, extending beyond a simple one-dimensional list.

In a one-dimensional array, elements are accessed using a single index, whereas in a multidimensional array, elements are accessed using multiple indices. The number of indices required to access an element in a multidimensional array is equal to the number of dimensions it has.

Here’s an example of a two-dimensional array in C:

<span class="hljs-type">int</span> matrix[<span class="hljs-number">3</span>][<span class="hljs-number">4</span>];


In this example, matrix is a two-dimensional array with 3 rows and 4 columns. The array can be visualized as a table with 3 rows and 4 columns:

<span class="hljs-number">0</span> <span class="hljs-number">1</span> <span class="hljs-number">2</span> <span class="hljs-number">3</span> <span class="hljs-operator"><</span><span class="hljs-operator">-</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">column</span> indices
<span class="hljs-comment">-----------------</span>
<span class="hljs-number">0</span><span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span>
<span class="hljs-comment">-----------------</span>
<span class="hljs-number">1</span><span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span>
<span class="hljs-comment">-----------------</span>
<span class="hljs-number">2</span><span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span> <span class="hljs-operator">|</span>
<span class="hljs-comment">-----------------</span>
<span class="hljs-operator">^</span>
<span class="hljs-operator">|</span>
<span class="hljs-type">row</span> indices


To access or modify an element in the array, you need to specify both the row index and the column index. For example, to access the element at row 1, column 2:

matrix[<span class="hljs-number">1</span>][<span class="hljs-number">2</span>] = <span class="hljs-number">42</span>; <span class="hljs-comment">// Assigning the value 42 to the element at row 1, column 2</span>


Multidimensional arrays can have more than two dimensions as well. For instance, a three-dimensional array can be used to represent a cube or a three-dimensional grid of values. The concept extends to arrays with even higher dimensions.

Multidimensional arrays in C are stored in memory in a contiguous block, with the elements organized in row-major order. This means that elements in the same row are stored sequentially, followed by elements in the next row, and so on.