Finding the maximum and minimum values in an array is a common task in C programming that helps you understand array traversal and basic comparisons. Here’s how you can implement a program to accomplish this.

Example: Find Maximum and Minimum in an Array

In this example, we will write a program that allows the user to input a specific number of integers into an array and then finds and displays the maximum and minimum values.

C Program to Find Maximum and Minimum in an Array

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int n, i;
    int arr[100]; // Declare an array of size 100

    // Input the number of elements in the array
    printf("Enter the number of elements in the array: ");
    scanf("%d", &n);

    // Input elements into the array
    printf("Enter %d integers:\n", n);
    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        printf("Element %d: ", i + 1);
        scanf("%d", &arr[i]); // Store each element in the array
    }

    // Initialize max and min with the first element of the array
    int max = arr[0];
    int min = arr[0];

    // Traverse the array to find max and min
    for (i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        if (arr[i] > max) {
            max = arr[i]; // Update max if current element is greater
        }
        if (arr[i] < min) {
            min = arr[i]; // Update min if current element is smaller
        }
    }

    // Output the maximum and minimum values
    printf("The maximum value in the array is: %d\n", max);
    printf("The minimum value in the array is: %d\n", min);

    return 0;
}

Explanation:

1. Variable Declarations:

   • int n: This variable holds the number of elements the user wants to input.
   • int i: Loop counter for iterating through the array.
   • int arr[100]: Declares an integer array of size 100 to store the elements.

2. Input for Array Size:

   • The program prompts the user to enter the number of elements they want to analyze and stores this value in n.

3. Input for Array Elements:

   • A for loop is used to iterate from 0 to n-1, prompting the user to input each integer, which is stored in the array arr.

4. Finding Maximum and Minimum Values:

   • The variables max and min are initialized to the first element of the array (arr[0]).
   • A for loop is then used to traverse the array starting from the second element (i = 1):
     • If the current element arr[i] is greater than max, it updates max.
     • If the current element arr[i] is less than min, it updates min.

5. Output the Maximum and Minimum Values:

   • Finally, the program prints the maximum and minimum values found in the array.

Sample Output:

Example 1:

Enter the number of elements in the array: 5
Enter 5 integers:
Element 1: 23
Element 2: 15
Element 3: 42
Element 4: 8
Element 5: 16
The maximum value in the array is: 42
The minimum value in the array is: 8

Example 2:

Enter the number of elements in the array: 4
Enter 4 integers:
Element 1: 7
Element 2: 5
Element 3: 12
Element 4: 0
The maximum value in the array is: 12
The minimum value in the array is: 0

Key Points:

• Array Traversal: The program demonstrates how to iterate through an array using a loop.
• Comparison Logic: Simple if statements are used to compare values and update the maximum and minimum values accordingly.
• Input/Output: Standard input/output functions are employed to interact with the user.

Variations:

You can modify the program to:

• Handle larger arrays dynamically using dynamic memory allocation (with malloc).
• Find the maximum and minimum in specific ranges of the array based on user input.
• Implement functions to encapsulate the logic for finding the maximum and minimum values, enhancing code modularity.

This program serves as a foundational exercise for understanding arrays, loops, and conditional statements in C programming.