Finding Minimum and Maximum Values

Definition

There are occasions in which in an array, you will need to find either the minimum value(s) or the maximum value(s).

To accomplish this you have to have two variables, one to store the element value in the array, and another to consider the actual value in that element (Max would be the variable that stores the currently biggest number and MaxIndex stores where the biggest number index is located at).

Once all the elements have been run through, Max / Min will contain the largest / smallest value and maximumIndex / minimumIndex will contain the index of the largest / smallest value.

Pseudocode for Maximum value

BEGIN MaxValue

Get List_Array

Length = Length of list // the number of values in the array

Max = 0 //sets the largest value at 0 - this assumes the values in the array are all numbers greater than 0

position = 0

FOR count = 0 to length - 1 // assume a zero index start.

IF List_Array ( count ) > Max // if the value being checked is greater than the current Max, then...

THEN Max = List_Array (count), position = count // ... make the current value the new Max

ELSE ( do nothing)

NEXT count

Display "The maximum value is " + Max + " The position of the Max is " + position

END MaxValue

Pseudocode for Minimum Value

BEGIN

Get List_Array

Length = Length of list

Min = 999 // this assumes the minimum value is less than 999.

position = 0

FOR count = 0 to length - 1 // assume a zero index start

IF List_Array ( count ) < Min // reverse the relational operator

THEN Min = List_Array (count), position = count // this records both the lower value and its position in the array

ELSE ( do nothing)

NEXT count // for every FOR, there must be a NEXT....

Display "The minimum value " + Min + " The position of the Min is " + position

END

Flowcharts for Maximum and Minimum values

Coded examples using C#

These samples are well commented as well.

Media