Find the Largest Element in an Array

The largest element in an array is the element that has the maximum value. For example if an array has the element set {20, 30, 10, 40, 70, 100}, then the largest element is 100. We have to check each element for an unsorted array to find the largest element.

Page content(s):

1. Algorithm

2. Pseudocode

3. Time Complexity

4. Program & Output: Iterative approach

 4.1. C

 4.2. C++

 4.3. Java

 4.4. Python

 4.5. C#

5. Program & Output: Recursive approach

 5.1. C

 5.2. C++

 5.3. Java

 5.4. Python

 5.5. C#

6. Program & Output: Using function

 6.1. C++

 6.2. Python

Additional content(s):

1. Flowchart

1. Algorithm to find the largest element in an array

1. Take input of an array A[] and the size n

2. Initially set the first element as maximum element i.e. max = A[0]

3. Set i = 0

4. Check if max < A[i]

5. If step 4 is true set max = A[i] and i = i + 1.

6. If step 4 is false set i = i + 1.

7. If i < n, go to step 4 else display max as the largest element.

2. Pseudocode to find the largest element in an array

Input: An array $A[~]$ and size of array $n$

Output: Largest element in $A[~]$

1. Procedure largestInArray($A[~]$, $n$):

2. $max \leftarrow A[0]$

3. Repeat for $i \in [0, n - 1]$:

4. If $max < A[i]$:

5. $max = A[i]$

6. Return $max$

7. End Procedure

3. Time complexity to find the largest element in an array

Time Complexity: O(n)

Where n is the total no of elements in the unsorted array.

4. Find the largest element in an array using Iteration

In this section, the iterative programs to find the largest element in an array are given.

4.1. C Program & output to find the largest element in an array using Iteration

Code has been copied

/********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C program to find largest element 
in an array using iteration
*********************************/

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // declare an array
    int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
    // declare variables
    int i, max;

    // set the first element as the max element
    max = arr[0];

    // compare each element in array 
    // to find the largest element
    for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
        if (max < arr[i])
            max = arr[i];
    }

    // display result
    printf("%d is the largest element!", max);

    return 0;
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

4.2. C++ Program & output to find the largest element in an array using Iteration

Code has been copied

/**********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C++ program to find largest element 
in an array using iteration
***********************************/

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {
    // declare an array
    int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
    // declare variables
    int i, max;

    // set the first element as the max element
    max = arr[0];

    // compare each element in array 
    // to find the largest element
    for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
        if (max < arr[i])
            max = arr[i];
    }

    // display result
    cout << max << " is the largest element!";

    return 0;
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

4.3. Java Program & output to find the largest element in an array using Iteration

Code has been copied

/***********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
Java program to find largest element 
in an array using iteration
************************************/

import java.util.Scanner;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // declare an array
        int arr[] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
        // declare variables
        int i, max;

        // set the first element as the max element
        max = arr[0];

        // compare each element in array 
        // to find the largest element
        for (i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
            if (max < arr[i])
                max = arr[i];
        }

        // display result
        System.out.println(max + " is the largest element!");
    }
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

4.4. Python Program & output to find the largest element in an array using Iteration

Code has been copied

# ************************************
#        alphabetacoder.com
# Python program to find largest
# element in an array using iteration
# ************************************

# declare a list
arr = [2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10]

# set the first element as the max element
maximum = arr[0]

# compare each element in array
# to find the largest element
for i in range(len(arr)):
    if maximum < arr[i]:
        maximum = arr[i]

# display result
print(maximum, "is the largest element!")

Output

50 is the largest element!

4.5. C# Program & output to find the largest element in an array using Iteration

Code has been copied

/*********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C# program to find largest element 
in an array using iteration
**********************************/
using System;

namespace LargestElement {
    class Program {
        static void Main(string[] args) {
            // declare an array
            int[] arr = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
            // declare variables
            int i, max;

            // set the first element as the max element
            max = arr[0];

            // compare each element in array 
            // to find the largest element
            for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
                if (max < arr[i])
                    max = arr[i];
            }

            // display output
            Console.WriteLine(max + " is the largest element!");

            // wait for user to press any key
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

5. Find the largest element in an array using recursion

In this section, the recursive programs to find the largest element in an array are given.

5.1. C Program & output to find the largest element in an array using recursion

Code has been copied

/********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C program to find largest element 
in an array using recursion
*********************************/

#include <stdio.h>

// recursive function to find
// largest element in array
int find_largest(int arr[], int largest, int i){
    // exit condition
    if(i < 0)
	return largest;
    // compare largest with 
    // current element
    if(largest <= arr[i])
	largest = arr[i];
    // call function
    return find_largest(arr, largest, i - 1);
} 

int main() {
    // declare an array
    int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
    // declare variables
    int max, length;
    
    // calculate size of array
    length = sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0]);

    // call function to get the 
    // largest element as return value
    // pass the array, first element as 
    // default largest element and the
    // size of the array
    max = find_largest(arr, arr[0], length - 1);
    
    // display result
    printf("%d is the largest element!", max);

    return 0;
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

5.2. C++ Program & output to find the largest element in an array using recursion

Code has been copied

/**********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C++ program to find largest element 
in an array using recursion
***********************************/

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

// recursive function to find
// largest element in array
int find_largest(int arr[], int largest, int i) {
    // exit condition
    if (i < 0)
        return largest;
    // compare largest with 
    // current element
    if (largest <= arr[i])
        largest = arr[i];
    // call function
    return find_largest(arr, largest, i - 1);
}

int main() {
    // declare an array
    int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
    // declare variables
    int max, length;

    // calculate size of array
    length = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]);

    // call function to get the 
    // largest element as return value
    // pass the array, first element as 
    // default largest element and the
    // size of the array
    max = find_largest(arr, arr[0], length - 1);

    // display result
    cout << max << " is the largest element!";

    return 0;
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

5.3. Java Program & output to find the largest element in an array using recursion

Code has been copied

/***********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
Java program to find largest element 
in an array using recursion
************************************/

import java.util.Scanner;

public class Main {

    // recursive function to find
    // largest element in array
    public static int find_largest(int arr[], int largest, int i) {
        // exit condition
        if (i == arr.length)
            return largest;
        // compare largest with 
        // current element
        if (largest <= arr[i])
            largest = arr[i];
        // call function
        return find_largest(arr, largest, i + 1);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // declare an array
        int arr[] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
        // declare variables
        int max;

        // call function to get the 
        // largest element as return value
        // pass the array, first element as 
        // default largest element and the
        // size of the array
        max = find_largest(arr, arr[0], 0);

        // display result
        System.out.println(max + " is the largest element!");
    }
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

5.4. Python Program & output to find the largest element in an array using recursion

Code has been copied

# ************************************
#        alphabetacoder.com
# Python program to find largest
# element in an array using recursion
# ************************************


# recursive function
def find_largest(arr, largest, i):
    # exit condition
    if i == len(arr):
        return largest

    # compare the largest with
    # the current element
    if largest <= arr[i]:
        largest = arr[i]

    # call function
    return find_largest(arr, largest, (i + 1))


def main():
    # declare a list
    arr = [2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10]

    # call function to get the
    # largest element as return value
    maximum = find_largest(arr, arr[0], 0)

    # display result
    print(maximum, "is the largest element!")


# call main() function
main()

Output

50 is the largest element!

5.5. C# Program & output to find the largest element in an array using recursion

Code has been copied

/*********************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C# program to find largest element 
in an array using recursion
**********************************/
using System;

namespace LargestElement {
    class Program {
        // recursive function to find
        // largest element in array
        public static int find_largest(int[] arr, int largest, int i) {
            // exit condition
            if (i == arr.Length)
                return largest;
            // compare largest with 
            // current element
            if (largest <= arr[i])
                largest = arr[i];
            // call function
            return find_largest(arr, largest, i + 1);
        }

        static void Main(string[] args) {
            // declare an array
            int[] arr = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
            // declare variables
            int max = 0;

            // call function to get the max element
            max = find_largest(arr, arr[0], 0);

            // display output
            Console.WriteLine(max + " is the largest element!");

            // wait for user to press any key
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

6. Find the largest element in an array using function

In this section, the programs using the inbuilt functions to find the largest element in an array are given.

6.1. C++ Program & output to find the largest element in an array using STL function max_element()

Code has been copied

/**************************************
       alphabetacoder.com
C++ program to find the largest element 
in an array using STL function
***************************************/

#include <iostream>

#include<algorithm>

using namespace std;

int main() {
    // declare an array
    int arr[8] = {2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10};
    // declare variables
    int max;

    // get the maximum element using function
    max = * max_element(arr, arr + 8);

    // display result
    cout << max << " is the largest element!";

    return 0;
}

Output

50 is the largest element!

6.2. Python Program & output to find the largest element in an array using max() function

Code has been copied

# ***************************************
#        alphabetacoder.com
# Python program to find the largest
# element in a list using max() function
# ***************************************

# declare a list
arr = [2, 50, 7, 23, 12, 17, 9, 10]

# get the maximum element using function
maximum = max(arr)

# display result
print(maximum, "is the largest element!")

Output

50 is the largest element!