How to find small and largest number from array?

In this post, we explore the best way to find the smallest and largest number in an array using Python. We will provide step-by-step implementation of the algorithm, which involves traversing the array once to identify the smallest and largest elements.

By utilizing this approach, we can determine the minimum and maximum values in the array with a linear time complexity, making it suitable for large datasets. Understanding how to find the smallest and largest numbers in an array is fundamental for various data manipulation and statistical operations in programming and data analysis

def find_largest_smallest(numbers):
    if not numbers:
        return None  # Return None for an empty array

    smallest = largest = numbers[0]  # Initialize smallest and largest with the first element

    for num in numbers:
        if num < smallest:
            smallest = num
        elif num > largest:
            largest = num

    return smallest, largest

integer_array = [5, 2, 9, 1, 7, 4]
smallest_number, largest_number = find_largest_smallest(integer_array)
print("Smallest number:", smallest_number)
print("Largest number:", largest_number)

#Output

Smallest number: 1
Largest number: 9