Maximum Element in Array in C: Program to Find Largest Element

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will learn how to write a C program to find the maximum or largest element in an array.

Finding the maximum element in an array is a very common programming problem. It is used in many real-world applications, such as:

• Finding the highest score in a class
• Finding the maximum temperature in weather data
• Finding the largest number in a list of sales figures
• Finding the maximum value in sensor readings

C Program to Find Maximum Element in Array

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int n, i;
    int max;
    
    // Ask user for number of elements
    printf("Enter the number of elements: ");
    scanf("%d", &n);
    
    // Declare array of size n
    int arr[n];
    
    // Read elements into the array
    printf("Enter %d elements:\n", n);
    for(i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        scanf("%d", &arr[i]);
    }
    
    // Assume first element is the maximum
    max = arr[0];
    
    // Find maximum element
    for(i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        if(arr[i] > max) {
            max = arr[i];
        }
    }
    
    // Display the maximum element
    printf("\nMaximum element in the array: %d\n", max);
    
    return 0;
}

Sample Output

Enter the number of elements: 5
Enter 5 elements:
10 50 30 40 20

Maximum element in the array: 50

Another Example:

Enter the number of elements: 6
Enter 6 elements:
100 200 50 75 25 150

Maximum element in the array: 200

Program Explanation

Let's break down the code step by step:

1. Include Header File: #include <stdio.h> includes the standard input/output library.
2. Declare Variables:
   • int n; — stores the number of elements
   • int i; — loop counter
   • int max; — stores the maximum element
3. Get User Input: Prompts the user to enter the number of elements and then reads them into the array.
4. Initialize Maximum: max = arr[0]; assumes the first element is the largest.
5. Find Maximum: The for loop starts from i = 1 and compares each element with max:
   • If arr[i] > max, then update max = arr[i];
6. Display Result: printf("\nMaximum element in the array: %d\n", max); prints the largest element.
7. Return: return 0; indicates successful program execution.

Algorithm to Find Maximum Element

1. Start
2. Read the number of elements (n)
3. Read n elements into the array
4. Set max = arr[0]
5. For i = 1 to n-1:
   • If arr[i] > max, set max = arr[i]
6. Print max
7. End

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int n, i;
    int max, min;
    
    printf("Enter the number of elements: ");
    scanf("%d", &n);
    
    int arr[n];
    
    printf("Enter %d elements:\n", n);
    for(i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        scanf("%d", &arr[i]);
    }
    
    max = arr[0];
    min = arr[0];
    
    for(i = 1; i < n; i++) {
        if(arr[i] > max) {
            max = arr[i];
        }
        if(arr[i] < min) {
            min = arr[i];
        }
    }
    
    printf("\nMaximum element: %d\n", max);
    printf("Minimum element: %d\n", min);
    
    return 0;
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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