Smallest Element in an array using C++

October 6, 2022

Smallest Element in an array using C++

Here, in this page we will discuss the program to find the smallest element in an array using C++ programming language. We are given with the elements of the array and need to print the smallest element among them. We discuss different methods to solve the given problem.

Here, in this page we will discuss different methods to find the smallest element in the array.

Method 1: Simple iterative
Method 2: Top Down recursive
Method 3: Bottom Up Recursive

Method 1:-

Declare a variable say mini and initialize it with INT_MAX value.
Run a loop from i=0 to i<n and check,
If arr[i] < mini, then set mini = arr[i].
After complete iteration print the value of mini.

Run

#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

int main(){

  int arr[] = { 34, 5, 89, 90, 56};
  int n = sizeof(arr)/ sizeof(arr[0]);

  int mini = INT_MAX;

  for(int i=0; i<n; i++){
    if(arr[i]<mini)
      mini = arr[i];
  }

  cout<<mini;
}

Output

The smallest : 5

Code in C++

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Method 2 (Using Recursion)

In this method we will discuss the recursive approach to find the smallest element in the given array.

Create a recursive function say min_element(int arr[], int n)
Base Condition : If(n==1) return arr[0]
Otherwise, return min(arr[n-1], min(arr, n-1))

Method 2 C++ Program:-

Run

#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

//Recursive Function
int min_element(int arr[], int n)
{
  // if size = 0 means whole array has been traversed
  if (n == 1)
    return arr[0];
  return min(arr[n-1], min_element(arr, n-1));
}

// driver code 
int main()
{
   int arr[] = { 34, 5, 89, 90, 56};
   int n = sizeof(arr)/ sizeof(arr[0]);
   cout << min_element(arr, n);
   return 0;
} 

// Time complexity: O(N)
// Space complexity: O(1)
// Auxilary space complexity : O(N) due to function call stack

Output

Method 3 (Using Bottom up recursion)

Call a function : minimum(int arr[], int i, int end)

With initial call up values as minimum(arr, 0, end)

- Initially passing end as the index of last array element
- Initially passing ‘i’ as 0
Recursively reach iteration where reading 2nd last element
Find smaller between 2nd last and last array elements
And return the result to min value of the previous recursive iteration
In each of the remaining recursive callups find the smaller b/w current array index element and current min value
Pass final min value from last recursive callup to main and print

Method 3 C++ Program:-

Run

#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

//Recursive Function
int minimum(int arr[], int i, int end)
{
   int min;

   if(i == end-1)
     return (arr[i] < arr[i + 1]) ? arr[i] : arr[i + 1];

   min = minimum(arr, i + 1, end);

   return (arr[i] < min) ? arr[i] : min;
}

// driver code 
int main()
{
   int arr[] = { 34, 5, 89, 90, 56};
   int end = sizeof(arr)/ sizeof(arr[0]) - 1;
   cout << minimum(arr, 0, end);
   return 0;
}

Output

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2 comments on “Smallest Element in an array using C++”

Kashyap
#include
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int n;
cin>>n;
int a[n];
for(int i=0;i>a[i];
}
for(int i=0;i<n;i++)
{
sort(a,a+n); //This is an inbuilt function which sorts an array in ascending order
}
cout<<a[0]; //So in ascending order obviously the 1st element must be the smaller one than all the remaining since ascending order starts from small to big
return 0;
}

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Kashyap
#include
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int n;
cin>>n;
int a[n];
for(int i=0;i>a[i];
}
for(int i=0;i<n;i++)
{
sort(a,a+n);

}
cout<<a[0];
return 0;
}

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