Definition - What does Sparse Array mean?
A sparse array is an array of data in which many elements have a value of zero. This is in contrast to a dense array, where most of the elements have non-zero values or are “full” of numbers. A sparse array may be treated differently than a dense array in digital data handling.
[From:https://www.techopedia.com/definition/9480/sparse-array#:~:text=A%20sparse%20array%20is%20an,array%20in%20digital%20data%20handling.]