The smallest element in an array is the element that has the minimum value. For example if an array has the element set {20, 30, 10, 40, 70, 100}, then the smallest element is 20. We have to check each element for an unsorted array to find the smallest element.
Page content(s):
4. Program & Output: Iterative approach
5. Program & Output: Recursive approach
6. Program & Output: Using function
Additional content(s):
1. Algorithm to find smallest element in an array
1. Take input of an array A[] and the size n
2. Initially set the first element as minimum element i.e. min = A[0]
3. Set i = 0
4. Check if min > A[i]
5. If step 4 is true set min = A[i] and i = i + 1.
6. If step 4 is false set i = i + 1.
7. If i < n, go to step 4 else display min as the smallest element.
2. Pseudocode to find smallest element in an array
Input: An array $A[~]$ and size of array $n$
Output: smallest element in $A[~]$
1. Procedure smallestInArray($A[~]$, $n$):
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7. End Procedure
3. Time complexity to find smallest element in an array
Time Complexity: O(n)
Where $n$ is the total no of elements in the array.
4. Program & output to find smallest element in an array using Iteration
In this section, the iterative programs to find the smallest element in an array are given.
4.1. C Program & output to find smallest element in an array using Iteration
Code has been copied
/******************************** alphabetacoder.com C program to find smallest element in an array using iteration *********************************/ #include <stdio.h> int main() { // declare an array int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int i, min; // set the first element as the min element min = arr[0]; // compare each element in array // to find the smallest element for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) { if (min > arr[i]) min = arr[i]; } // display result printf("%d is the smallest element!", min); return 0; }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
4.2. C++ Program & output to find smallest element in an array using Iteration
Code has been copied
/*********************************** alphabetacoder.com C++ program to find smallest element in an array using iteration ************************************/ #include <iostream> using namespace std; int main() { // declare an array int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int i, min; // set the first element as the min element min = arr[0]; // compare each element in array // to find the smallest element for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) { if (min > arr[i]) { min = arr[i]; } } // display result cout << min << " is the smallest element!"; return 0; }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
4.3. Java Program & output to find smallest element in an array using Iteration
Code has been copied
/*********************************** alphabetacoder.com Java program to find the smallest element in an array using iteration ************************************/ import java.util.Scanner; public class Main { public static void main(String[] args) { // declare an array int arr[] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int i, min; // set the first element as the min element min = arr[0]; // compare each element in array // to find the smallest element for (i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) { if (min > arr[i]) { min = arr[i]; } } // display result System.out.println(min + " is the smallest element!"); } }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
4.4. Python Program & output to find smallest element in an array using Iteration
Code has been copied
# ************************************ # alphabetacoder.com # Python program to find the smallest # element in an array using iteration # ************************************ # declare a list arr = [2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10] # set the first element as the min element minimum = arr[0] # compare each element in array # to find the minimum element for i in range(len(arr)): if minimum > arr[i]: minimum = arr[i] # display result print(minimum, "is the smallest element!")
Output
2 is the smallest element!
4.5. C# Program & output to find smallest element in an array using Iteration
Code has been copied
/*********************************** alphabetacoder.com C# program to find the smallest element in an array using iteration ************************************/ using System; namespace SmallestElement { class Program { static void Main(string[] args) { // declare an array int[] arr = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int i, min; // set the first element as the min element min = arr[0]; // compare each element in array // to find the minimum element for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) { if (min > arr[i]) { min = arr[i]; } } // display output Console.WriteLine(min + " is the smallest element!"); // wait for user to press any key Console.ReadKey(); } } }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
5. Program & output to find smallest element in an array using recursion
In this section, the recursive programs to find the smallest element in an array are given.
5.1. C Program & output to find smallest element in an array using recursion
Code has been copied
/******************************** alphabetacoder.com C program to find smallest element in an array using recursion *********************************/ #include <stdio.h> // recursive function to find // smallest element in array int find_smallest(int arr[], int smallest, int i){ // exit condition if(i < 0) return smallest; // compare smallest with // current element if(smallest >= arr[i]) smallest = arr[i]; // call function return find_smallest(arr, smallest, i - 1); } int main() { // declare an array int arr[8] = {2, 50, 1, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int min, length; // calculate size of array length = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]); // call function to get the // smallest element as return value // pass the array, first element as // default smallest element and the // size of the array min = find_smallest(arr, arr[0], length - 1); // display result printf("%d is the smallest element!", min); return 0; }
Output
1 is the smallest element!
5.2. C++ Program & output to find smallest element in an array using recursion
Code has been copied
/*********************************** alphabetacoder.com C++ program to find smallest element in an array using recursion ************************************/ #include <iostream> using namespace std; // recursive function to find // smallest element in array int find_smallest(int arr[], int smallest, int i) { // exit condition if (i < 0) return smallest; // compare smallest with // current element if (smallest >= arr[i]) { smallest = arr[i]; } // call function return find_smallest(arr, smallest, i - 1); } int main() { // declare an array int arr[8] = {2, 50, 1, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int min, length; // calculate size of array length = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]); // call function to get the // smallest element as return value // pass the array, first element as // default smallest element and the // size of the array min = find_smallest(arr, arr[0], length - 1); // display result cout << min << " is the smallest element!"; return 0; }
Output
1 is the smallest element!
5.3. Java Program & output to find smallest element in an array using recursion
Code has been copied
/*********************************** alphabetacoder.com Java program to find the smallest element in an array using recursion ************************************/ import java.util.Scanner; public class Main { // recursive function to find // smallest element in array public static int find_smallest(int arr[], int smallest, int i) { // exit condition if (i == arr.length) return smallest; // compare smallest with // current element if (smallest > arr[i]) smallest = arr[i]; // call function return find_smallest(arr, smallest, i + 1); } public static void main(String[] args) { // declare an array int arr[] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int min; // call function to get the // smallest element as return value // pass the array, first element as // default smallest element and the // size of the array min = find_smallest(arr, arr[0], 0); // display result System.out.println(min + " is the smallest element!"); } }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
5.4. Python Program & output to find smallest element in an array using recursion
Code has been copied
# ************************************ # alphabetacoder.com # Python program to find the smallest # element in an array using recursion # ************************************ # recursive function def find_smallest(arr, smallest, i): # exit condition if i == len(arr): return smallest # compare the smallest with # the current element if smallest >= arr[i]: smallest = arr[i] # call function return find_smallest(arr, smallest, (i + 1)) def main(): # declare a list arr = [2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10] # call function to get the # smallest element as return value smallest = find_smallest(arr, arr[0], 0) # display result print(smallest, "is the smallest element!") # call main() function main()
Output
2 is the smallest element!
5.5. C# Program & output to find smallest element in an array using recursion
Code has been copied
/********************************** alphabetacoder.com C# program to find the smallest element in an array using recursion ***********************************/ using System; namespace SmallestElement { class Program { // recursive function to find // smallest element in array public static int find_smallest(int[] arr, int smallest, int i) { // exit condition if (i == arr.Length) return smallest; // compare smallest with // current element if (smallest >= arr[i]) smallest = arr[i]; // call function return find_smallest(arr, smallest, i + 1); } static void Main(string[] args) { // declare an array int[] arr = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int min = 0; // call function to get the min element min = find_smallest(arr, arr[0], 0); // display output Console.WriteLine(min + " is the smallest element!"); // wait for user to press any key Console.ReadKey(); } } }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
6. Find the smallest element in an array using function
In this section, the programs using the inbuilt functions to find the smallest element in an array are given.
6.1. C++ Program & output to find the smallest element in an array using STL function min_element()
Code has been copied
/************************************** alphabetacoder.com C++ program to find the smallest element in an array using STL function ***************************************/ #include <iostream> #include<algorithm> using namespace std; int main() { // declare an array int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10}; // declare variables int min; // get the smallest element using function max = * min_element(arr, arr + 8); // display result cout << min << " is the smallest element!"; return 0; }
Output
2 is the smallest element!
6.2. Python Program & output to find the smallest element in an array using min() function
Code has been copied
# *************************************** # alphabetacoder.com # Python program to find the smallest # element in a list using min() function # *************************************** # declare a list arr = [2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10] # get the minimum element using function minimum = min(arr) # display result print(minimum, "is the smallest element!")
Output
2 is the smallest element!