Final answer:
When the method receives the actual memory address of the array and has access to the actual values in the array elements, it means that the method is passing the array by reference in programming. This allows changes made inside the method to affect the original array outside the method.
Step-by-step explanation:
In programming, particularly in languages like C and C++, a function can accept references or pointers to an array, which allows it to modify the array's contents directly.
And when a method receives the actual memory address of the array instead of its copy, and as a result has access to the actual values in the array elements, this is known as passing by reference.
This is different from passing by value, where a copy of the array's data is made and the original array remains unchanged by the function's operations.
In many high-level programming languages like Java or Python, arrays and other objects are automatically passed by reference or by a reference value, allowing the called methods to change the original data.
Understanding how a method manipulates an array is crucial for managing memory efficiently and avoiding unintended side effects in a program's behavior.