What is the purpose of pointers in the C language?

Pointers in the C language are used to store the memory addresses of variables. They can be utilized to access and manipulate data stored in memory. By using pointers, it is possible to indirectly access variables, share data between functions, and dynamically allocate memory.

Pointers can be used for the following aspects:

1. Memory management: By using pointers, memory can be dynamically allocated and released, enabling flexible management of memory.
2. Data sharing: By using pointers, data can be passed and shared between different functions, avoiding the need for copying the data.
3. Data structure: Pointers can be used to construct complex data structures such as linked lists and trees, offering a more flexible way to organize data.
4. Function parameter passing: By using pointer parameters, the value of the actual argument can be modified within the function, achieving direct modification of the actual argument.
5. Pointer arithmetic: Pointers support a variety of operators, such as addition, subtraction, comparison, which allow for traversing and manipulating arrays, strings, etc.

In conclusion, pointers are a very important concept in the C language, playing a crucial role in memory management, data sharing, data structures, and are one of the commonly used tools in C programming.