The index consists of A. a list of keys B. pointers to the master list C. both (a) and (b) D. All of the above E. None of the above

The correct answer is C. both (a) and (b).

An index is a data structure that helps to quickly locate data in a database. It consists of a list of keys, which are the unique identifiers of the data, and pointers to the master list, which contains the actual data. When you search for data in a database, the index is used to quickly find the corresponding record in the master list.

Option A is correct because the index contains a list of keys. Option B is also correct because the index contains pointers to the master list. Therefore, the correct answer is C. both (a) and (b).

Option D is incorrect because it includes the option “All of the above”. This option is not correct because the index does not contain the actual data. The index only contains a list of keys and pointers to the master list.

Option E is incorrect because it includes the option “None of the above”. This option is not correct because the index does contain a list of keys and pointers to the master list.