Minimum

algorithm.md

###Minimum in a List - A linear approach

MIN(array):
	
	minimum = INFINITY /* Assign the largest possible value */
	FOR i = 0 TO (array.length - 1)
		IF array[i] < minimum
			/* If a number lesser than current minimum is encountered, */
			/* assign it as new minimum. */
			minimum = array[i]
		END IF
	END FOR

	RETURN minimum

END MIN

The loop iterates over the whole array, making it's best, average and worst an O(n).

minimum.c

/*
	MINIMUM in array
	0 based indexing
	** for TURBO C, remove // from commented statements
*/

#include<stdio.h>
//#include<conio.h>

#define INFINITY 999

int max(int *arr, int arr_length){
	int i, minimum = INFINITY;

	for(i = 0; i <= arr_length - 1; i++){
		if(arr[i] < minimum){
			minimum = arr[i];
		}
	}
	return minimum;
}


int main(){
	int arr[10], len;
	int i, minimum;

	printf("\nEnter length (max 10): "); scanf("%d", &len);
	printf("\nEnter %d elements one after another:\n", len);
	for(i=0; i<len; i++) scanf("%d", &arr[i]);

	printf("\nYour Array ::\n\t");
	for(i=0; i<len; i++) printf("%d  ", arr[i]);

	minimum = max(arr, len);
	printf("\nMinimum in this array: %d", minimum);
	
	printf("\n");
	//getch();
	return 0;
}

Minimum.java

/*
	MINIMUM in array
	0 based indexing
	Save File as Minimum.java
*/

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;

public class Minimum{
	
	public static int max(int[] arr){
		/* Why static? Since we are calling from main, which itself is static */
		int minimum = 999;

		for(int i = 0; i <= arr.length - 1; i++){
			if(arr[i] < minimum){
				minimum = arr[i];
			}
		}
		return minimum;
	}

	public static void main(String s[]) throws NumberFormatException, IOException{
		BufferedReader ip = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
		
		System.out.print("\nEnter length: ");
		int len = Integer.parseInt(ip.readLine());
		
		int[] arr = new int[len];
		
		System.out.println("\nEnter "+ len +" elements one after another:");
		for(int i = 0; i < len; i++) arr[i] = Integer.parseInt(ip.readLine());
		
		System.out.println("\nYour Array :");
		for(int i = 0; i < len; i++) System.out.print(" " + arr[i]);
		
		int minimum = max(arr);
		System.out.println("\nMinimum in this array: " + minimum);
		
		System.out.println("\n");	
	}
}