Final answer:
The first element of an array declared as 'int a[20];' is referred to as 'a[0]' in programming languages where array indexing starts at 0.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first element of the array declaration int a[20]; is written as option b) a[0]. In C++ and most other programming languages, array indexing starts at 0, not 1. This means that the first element is at index 0, the second element at index 1, and so on, up to the 19th element at index 19. So, a[20] would actually refer to an out-of-bounds index in this array, which could cause undefined behavior or an error if accessed.
The first element in an array is referred to using the index of 0. So, in the given array declaration, int a[20], the first element would be written as a[0].