How to find smallest and largest number?

[Jojy5555]

Hello there
I have problem with writing a program could you please help me with that ?

Write a program that will find the smallest, largest and average of the values in a collection of N positive integer numbers.

Thanks,

[weaknessforcats]

Forget about C for the moment. First, how would you find the largest integer in a collection of integers?

Often it's not the programming that hard, it's the method you use for the solution.

If you have no method, then you can never solve the program with code.

[Jojy5555]

Yes this is my problem I don't know how to get the method .

Could you please help me with that ?

[weaknessforcats]

Pick the first number as the largest number.

Write it on a piece of paper.

Pick another number.

If it's bigger than the number on the paper, erase the number on the paper and replace it with this one.

Pick another number and repeat until you have picked all the numbers.

The largest number will be on the piece of paper.

All you have to do now is translate this method into C.

Don't worry about finding the smallest number (though that is obvious now) or the average. Just get your program to do this one thing.

Post your code if you get stuck.

[Jojy5555]

Thanks for trying to help me

I understood that what did you say before
but the numbers the program should get them from the user

I've written my code please check it for me if there anything wrong

#include <stdio.h>
#defin sentinel=-1
int main ()
{
Int N1, N2; 
double average; 
 
printf("Enter two numbers or press -1 to exit\n");
scanf ("%d%d",&N1, N2);
 
while (N1!=-1 ||N2!=-1)
 
{
if (N1> 0 && N2> 0)
average=(N1+N2)/2.0;
printf ("the average is %f ,average);
}
if (N1> N2)
{
printf ("the largest is %d , the smallest is %d,N1, N2);
}
 break; 
if (N2> N1)
{
printf ("the largest is %d , the smallest is %d , N2, N1);
}
}//end while

[Jojy5555]

I'm waiting for your help.

Thanks a lot

[weaknessforcats]

This code:

printf("Enter two numbers or press -1 to exit\n");
scanf ("%d%d",&N1, N2);
 
while (N1!=-1 ||N2!=-1)
 
{
if (N1> 0 && N2> 0)
average=(N1+N2)/2.0;
printf ("the average is %f ,average);
}
if (N1> N2)
etc...

is a very good start, There is a problem here:

scanf ("%d%d",&N1, N2);
 

which should be:

scanf ("%d%d",&N1, &N2);
 

And here:

while (N1!=-1 ||N2!=-1)
etc...

Why the loop? The values of N1 and N2 won't change.

Unless you intended that they change in which case the scanf needs to be inside the loop rather than outside.

Finally, the average should be an int and not a double. That is the average of 2 and 1 is 3/2 which is 1 and not 1.5. Integers have no decimal portions so 1.5 is not an int. This may look odd to you but integer division works this way.

For an average of 1.5, N and N2 would need to be floating point, like maybe a double. Then you would have 2.0 and 1.0 and the average would be 3.0/2.0 which is 1.5.

[Jojy5555]

Thanks a lot I understood now when should I use the loop
you was very helpful thank you so much

[Snip]

Here:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int main(){
 
int i,s,x;
s=0;
for(i=0;i<=5;i++){
 
                   printf("Digite um valor: ");
                   scanf("%d",&x);
                   if(x>=s) s = x;
 
                  }
 
 
printf("MAX: %d \n",s);      
system("pause");  
 
}
 

the user give u 5 inputs and then you show him the maximun value.
How:
You create a variable called "s" with 0 as initial value, then the user give the first value and the variable s eats it. Then if the following value is greater than the first, s will be it, and so on, in the end "s" will be the greater of all.

[Snip]

Getting the smalles and the largest:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int main(){
 
int i,s,x,lim;
s=0;
for(i=0;i<=5;i++){
 
                   printf("Type a value: ");
                   scanf("%d",&x);
                   if(x>=s) s = x;
                   if(i==0) lim = x;
                   if(x<lim) lim = x;
 
                  }
 
 
printf("MAX: %d, MIN: %d",s,lim);      
system("pause");  
 
}
 
 

[Jojy5555]

I don't know what do you mean by (system ("pause")) ?

I'm still in the beginning of this program .

Thanks a lot

[Snip]

Im a beginner in C too, system("pause") is used to stop the screen that appear to show the result. It is from the <stdlib.h> . So the screen doesn't close very fast. But it has nothing to do with the logic of what you want to do.

[Jojy5555]

What if I used a break ? Is it wrong ?