Find two smallest elements in an array

Posted on Apr 23, 2020

C program to find two smallest elements in a one dimensional array.

Program

#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<limits.h>
#define MAX 50

void main()
{
	int arr[MAX];
    int i, n, min, second, flag;

    printf("Enter the number of elements in the array\t:");
    scanf("%d",&n);
    printf("Enter the elements\n");
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        printf("Element %d\t:",i+1);
        scanf("%d",&arr[i]);
    }

    min = arr[0];
    second = INT_MAX;
    flag = 0;
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
    {
        if(arr[i] < min)
        {
            second = min;
            min = arr[i];
            flag = 1;
        }
        else if(arr[i] < second && arr[i] != min)
        {
            second = arr[i];
            flag = 1;
        }

    }

    if(flag == 0)
    {
        printf("\nSmallest element of the array is\t:%d",min);
        printf("\nSecond Smallest element does not exist");
    }
    else
    {
        printf("\nSmallest element of the array is\t:%d",min);
        printf("\nSecond smallest element of the array is\t:%d",second);
    }

    getch();
}

Output

********** Run1 ********** 

Enter the number of elements in the array       :8
Enter the elements
Element 1       :45
Element 2       :41
Element 3       :5
Element 4       :45
Element 5       :21
Element 6       :58
Element 7       :56
Element 8       :56

Smallest element of the array is        :5
Second smallest element of the array is :21


********** Run2 ********** 

Enter the number of elements in the array       :4
Enter the elements
Element 1       :52
Element 2       :52
Element 3       :52
Element 4       :52

Smallest element of the array is        :52
Second Smallest element does not exist