If you're new to references, and that is why you are wanting to not use them, I strongly suggest you sit down and get your head wrapped around them. You will not be able to implement complex data structures without them. And life will be much easier with them anyway.

If you don't understand references, I hope you don't feel dumb. Because it took me a long time for the concepts to settle in my brain. But one day I was talking with someone about it and it just clicked. From then on, it's been smooth sailing. Whatever time it takes you to understand references will be time well spent. In the long run you will benefit immensely.

And to answer your question, in many instances, you can't achieve what you're wanting anyway (the multi-dimentional part) without using references. To assign an array as an array element requires references - there is no other way.

Good luck & don't give up.