FINDING MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM IN AN ARRAY

Problem Statement

Given an array of integers, the task is to find the smallest (minimum) and largest (maximum) elements in the array.

---

Approach

Instead of sorting the array (which takes extra time), we can solve this problem in a single traversal.

Here’s the idea:

• Assume the first element of the array is both the minimum and maximum.
• Traverse through the rest of the array.

• For each element:

  • If it is smaller than the current minimum → update the minimum.
  • If it is larger than the current maximum → update the maximum.

• Finally, return both values.

This way, we only loop through the array once — making the solution efficient.

---

Code Implementation

python
class Solution:
def getMinMax(self, arr):
min_val = arr[0]
max_val = arr[0]

    for i in range(1, len(arr)):
        if arr[i] < min_val:
            min_val = arr[i]
        if arr[i] > max_val:
            max_val = arr[i]

    return [min_val, max_val]

---

Example

Input:

arr = [1, 4, 3, 5, 8, 6]

Output:

[1, 8]

Here, 1 is the smallest element and 8 is the largest.

---

Time Complexity

• O(n) → We traverse the array only once.

Space Complexity

• O(1) → No extra space is used.

---

Why this approach is better?

• No need to sort the array (which would take O(n log n))
• Simple and easy to understand
• Efficient for large datasets

---

Bonus Tip

Python also provides built-in functions:

python
min(arr), max(arr)

But in coding platforms and interviews, writing the logic manually helps demonstrate your understanding.

---

Conclusion

This problem might look simple, but it’s a great way to practice looping, condition checking, and optimization thinking. Mastering such basics makes solving complex problems much easier later on.