C Program to find Minimum Value of an Array

Posted in C Tutorial

Updated on Jan 11, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 60 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

C Program to find Minimum Value of an Array

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

In the world of programming, manipulating arrays is a fundamental skill. One common task is finding the minimum value within an array.

This involves iterating through the array elements and identifying the smallest value present.

In this tutorial, we will walk through a C program that efficiently finds the minimum value of an array..

📄 Example

Let's dive into the C code to achieve this functionality.

findMinValue.c

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#include <stdio.h>

// Function to find the minimum value in an array
int findMinValue(int arr[], int size) {
  // Assume the first element is the minimum
  int minValue = arr[0];

  // Iterate through the array to find the minimum value
  for (int i = 1; i < size; ++i) {
    if (arr[i] < minValue) {
      minValue = arr[i];
    }
  }

  return minValue;
}

// Driver program
int main() {
  // Replace these values with your array
  int array[] = {12, 5, 7, 3, 2, 8, 10};

  // Calculate the size of the array
  int size = sizeof(array) / sizeof(array[0]);

  // Call the function to find the minimum value
  int minValue = findMinValue(array, size);

  // Print the result
  printf("The minimum value in the array is: %d\n", minValue);

  return 0;
}

💻 Testing the Program

To test the program with a different array, simply replace the values in the array declaration in the main function.

Output

The minimum value in the array is: 2

Compile and run the program to see the minimum value of the array.

🧠 How the Program Works

The program defines a function findMinValue that takes an array and its size as input and returns the minimum value.
Inside the function, it assumes the first element of the array is the minimum value.
It then iterates through the array, updating the minimum value whenever a smaller element is encountered.
The driver program initializes an array and calculates its size before calling the function and printing the result.

🧐 Understanding the Concept of Minimum Value of an Array

Before diving into the code, let's understand the concept of finding the minimum value in an array.

The minimum value is the smallest element present in the array. The algorithm iterates through the array elements, updating the minimum value whenever a smaller element is encountered.

🎢 Optimizing the Program

While the provided program is effective, consider exploring and implementing optimizations, such as using additional data structures or algorithms, depending on the specific requirements and constraints of your application.

Feel free to incorporate and modify this code as needed for your specific use case. Happy coding!