Final answer:
At least three Big SQL management nodes are required for high availability and fault tolerance in a distributed computing environment.
The correct answer is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The minimum number of Big SQL management nodes required is three. This is necessary to ensure high availability and fault tolerance. In a distributed computing environment, having at least three management nodes allows the system to continue functioning even if one node fails. The consensus protocols used for fault tolerance, such as Raft or Paxos, require an odd number of nodes to prevent split-brain scenarios and to allow the system to continue to make progress even when some nodes are not available.