Finding Maximum and Minimum Element in an Array

Introduction

In programming, finding the maximum and minimum elements in an array is a basic and important problem. It helps us understand loops, comparisons, and problem-solving techniques.

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Problem Statement

Given an array of integers, find:

• The minimum (smallest) element
• The maximum (largest) element

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Approach

We can solve this problem using a simple method:

1. Assume the first element as both minimum and maximum
2. Traverse through the array
3. Compare each element with current min and max
4. Update values accordingly

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Python Code

def find_min_max(arr):
minimum = arr[0]
maximum = arr[0]

for num in arr:

    if num < minimum:

        minimum = num

    if num > maximum:

        maximum = num

return minimum, maximum

Example usage

arr = [10, 5, 20, 8, 2]
min_val, max_val = find_min_max(arr)

print("Minimum:", min_val)
print("Maximum:", max_val)

ouput:

Minimum : 2
Maximum : 20