Find Second Smallest Element in an Array using Python

October 6, 2022

second smallest element in an array using python

Second Smallest Element in an array using Python

 

Here, in this page we will discuss the program to find the second smallest element in an array using python programming language. We will discuss various method to find the second smallest element of the given array.

 

Various methods to discussed in this page are :

  • Method 1 : Using two loops
  • Method 2 : Using one loop
  • Method 3 : Using sort() function.

 

Method 1 :

  • Take a variable say first and set it to integer maximum value.
  • Run a loop for range (0, len(arr))
  • Check if first > arr[i], set first = arr[i]
  • Now, declare a variable say second and set it to integer maximum value.
  • Run a loop for range (0, len(arr))
  • Check if ( arr[i] != first and arr[i]<second), set second = arr[i]
  • Print(second)

Method 1 : Python code

Run 
import math

arr = [10, 13, 17, 11, 34, 21]
first = math.inf
second = math.inf

for i in range(0, len(arr)):
   if arr[i] < first:
     first = arr[i]

for i in range(0, len(arr)):
   if arr[i] != first and arr[i] < second:
     second = arr[i]

print(second)

Output :

11
 

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Sort first half in ascending order and second half in descending 

Method 2 :

  • Take two variable say first and second, set them to integer maximum value.
  • Run a loop for range (0, len(arr))
  • Check if first > arr[i], set second = first and first = arr[i]
  • Else Check if ( arr[i] != first and arr[i]<second), set second = arr[i]
  • Print(second)

Method 2 : Python code

Run 
import math

arr = [10, 13, 17, 11, 34, 21]
first = second = math.inf

for i in range(0, len(arr)):
  if arr[i] < first:
    second = first
    first = arr[i]

  elif (arr[i] < second and arr[i] != first):
    second = arr[i];

print(second)

Output :

11

Method 3 :

  • Sort the array using inbuilt sort() function.
  • sort(), sort the array in ascending order.
  • So, to print the second smallest element of the array print arr[1].

 

Second smallest element

Method 3 : Python code

Run 
import math
arr = [10, 13, 17, 11, 34, 21]
arr.sort();
print(arr[1])

Output :

11

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13 comments on “Find Second Smallest Element in an Array using Python”


  • GSaiCharan

    arr = [10, 89, 9, 56, 4, 80, 8]
    mini = arr[0]
    arr.sort()
    print(arr)

    #maxi = arr[0]

    for i in range(len(arr)):
    if arr[i] < mini:

    mini = arr[i]

    arr.remove(mini)
    arr.sort()
    print(arr[0])


  • Abhishek

    size=int(input(“ENTER ARRAY SIZE”))

    arr=[]

    for i in range(size):

    element=int(input())

    arr.append(element)
    arr.sort()
    print(“THE 2 SMALLEST ARRY IS :– “,arr[1])


  • Anirudh

    n = int(input())
    arr = []
    for i in range(n):
    ele = int(input())
    arr.append(ele)
    print(arr)
    arr.sort()
    print(arr)
    print(“the second smallest element is : “,arr[1])


  • Vishnukant

    x=int(input())
    r=[]
    for i in range(x):
    y=int(input(“enter a number”))
    r.append(y)
    m=min(r)
    r.remove(m)
    print(min(r))


  • Nikita

    def sec_largest(arr):
    for i in range(len(arr)):
    for j in range(i+1,len(arr)):
    if (arr[i]>arr[j]):
    temp = arr[i]
    arr[i] = arr[j]
    arr[j] = temp

    for i in range(1,len(arr)):
    if arr[i]!= arr[0]:
    return arr[i]
    return -1

    arr = [13, 6, 7, 10, 2, 13, 4, 10]
    print(sec_largest(arr))


  • sayannandi11071998

    For C users..
    #include
    int main()
    {
    int n, arr[100];
    printf(“Enter the length of the array.\n”);
    scanf(“%d”, &n);
    printf(“Enter array elements.\n”);
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    {
    scanf("%d", &arr[i]);
    }
    int smallest = arr[0];
    int Ssmallest = arr[1];
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    {
    if (arr[i] < smallest)
    {
    smallest = arr[i];
    }

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

    }

    printf(“Second %d”, Ssmallest);

    return 0;
    }


  • Arun

    from array import *
    a=array(“i”,[])
    b=int(input(“enter size :”))
    for x in range(b):
    c=int(input())
    a.append(c)
    a1=sorted(a)
    print(min(a))
    print(a1[1])


  • Anshuman

    a=list(map(int, input().split()))
    k=int(input())
    for i in range(k):
    key=i
    for j in range(i+1,len(a)):
    if a[j]<a[key]:
    key=j
    else:
    pass

    a[i],a[key]=a[key],a[i]
    print(a[k-1])


  • ena

    mylist=[11, 15, 2, 4, 91, 10, 20, 16, 14]
    mylist.sort()
    print (mylist)

    print[“smallest number is:”,mylist[1])


  • Amulya

    For people who are searching the code in C,
    #include
    void swap(int* xp, int* yp)
    {
    int temp = *xp;
    *xp = *yp;
    *yp = temp;
    }
    int main(void) {
    // your code goes here
    int arr[50]; int n= sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]); int min_idx;
    printf(“size:\n”);
    scanf(“%d”,&n);
    printf(“arr: \n”);
    for(int i=0;i<n;i++){
    scanf("%d",&arr[i]);
    }
    for(int i=0;i<n;i++){

    min_idx = i;
    for (int j = i + 1; j < n; j++)
    if (arr[j] < arr[min_idx])
    min_idx = j;

    // Swap the found minimum element
    // with the first element
    swap(&arr[min_idx], &arr[i]);
    }

    printf("\n");
    printf("second smallest no: %d",arr[1]);
    return 0;
    }


    • Anmol

      Code given in the answer will give wrong output if entered element gets repeated
      My code will do the job , nice and simple with o(n) complexity as same as the last two above me

      n=int(input())
      a=[]
      for i in range(n):
      a.append(int(input()))
      print(“Array”,a)
      s=set(a)
      ln=list(a)
      ln.sort()
      print(“Second largerst :”,end=””)
      print(ln[1])