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In C and C++ programming, pointers are variables that store the memory address of another variable. Pointers allow us to access the value of a variable indirectly, through its memory address. Pointers are commonly used in various programming scenarios, such as dynamic memory allocation, traversing arrays, and implementing data structures like trees and linked lists.

There are mainly two types of operators that are used with pointers: address-of (&) and dereference (*) operators. Address-of (&) Operator: This operator is used to obtain the memory address of a variable. For example, if we have a variable 'x', '&x' will give us the memory address of 'x'. Dereference (*) Operator: This operator is used to access the value of a variable that a pointer points to. For example, if we have a pointer 'p' pointing to a variable 'x', then '*p' will provide the value of 'x'. From the given exercise, we need to find the operator that can be used to work with the variable a pointer points to. This indicates that we are looking for the dereference operator, which allows us to access the value of a variable through a pointer.

Based on our analysis, the correct operator that can be used to work with the variable a pointer points to is the dereference (*) operator. This operator allows us to access the value stored in the memory address, which a pointer points to.