Final answer:
In programming, an overloaded method is one that has the same name but different signatures, consisting of either different parameter types or a varying number of parameters. The return type is not considered in method overloading.
Step-by-step explanation:
An overloaded method in programming refers to the creation of multiple methods in the same class that have the same name but different signatures. The signature of a method includes the number and types of its parameters, but not the return type. Therefore, overloading happens in the following scenarios:
- The same method name with different types of parameters.
- The same method name with a different number of parameters.
Given these points, the correct answer to the question is (d) Both (a) and (b) above - meaning that an overloaded method consists of the same method name with either different types of parameters or a different number of parameters.