public K[] elements() {
    return a;
  }
Returns the backing array of this list.

<P>
If this array list was created by wrapping a given array, it is guaranteed that the type of the
returned array will be the same. Otherwise, the returned array will be of type {@link Object
Object[]} (in spite of the declared return type).

<strong>Warning</strong>: This behaviour may cause (unfathomable) run-time errors if a method
expects an array actually of type <code>K[]</code>, but this methods returns an array of type
{@link Object Object[]}.

@return the backing array.
geode-core/src/main/java/org/apache/geode/internal/cache/IdentityArrayList.java