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Recursive Programs to find Minimum and Maximum elements of array

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Given an array of integers arr, the task is to find the minimum and maximum element of that array using recursion.

Examples : 

Input: arr = {1, 4, 3, -5, -4, 8, 6};
Output: min = -5, max = 8

Input: arr = {1, 4, 45, 6, 10, -8};
Output: min = -8, max = 45

Recursive approach to find the Minimum element in the array

Approach:  

  • Get the array for which the minimum is to be found
  • Recursively find the minimum according to the following: 
    • Recursively traverse the array from the end
    • Base case: If the remaining array is of length 1, return the only present element i.e. arr[0] 
if(n == 1)
   return arr[0];
  • Recursive call: If the base case is not met, then call the function by passing the array of one size less from the end, i.e. from arr[0] to arr[n-1].
  • Return statement: At each recursive call (except for the base case), return the minimum of the last element of the current array (i.e. arr[n-1]) and the element returned from the previous recursive call. 
return min(arr[n-1], recursive_function(arr, n-1));
  • Print the returned element from the recursive function as the minimum element

Pseudocode for Recursive function: 

If there is single element, return it.
Else return minimum of following.
    a) Last Element
    b) Value returned by recursive call
       for n-1 elements.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++




// Recursive C++ program to find minimum
  
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
  
// function to print Minimum element using recursion
int findMinRec(int A[], int n)
{
    // if size = 0 means whole array has been traversed
    if (n == 1)
        return A[0];
    return min(A[n-1], findMinRec(A, n-1));
}
  
// driver code to test above function
int main()
{
    int A[] = {1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2};
    int n = sizeof(A)/sizeof(A[0]);
    cout <<  findMinRec(A, n);
    return 0;
}


Java




// Recursive Java program to find minimum
import java.util.*;
  
class GFG {
  
    // function to return minimum element using recursion
    public static int findMinRec(int A[], int n)
    {
      // if size = 0 means whole array
      // has been traversed
      if(n == 1)
        return A[0];
          
        return Math.min(A[n-1], findMinRec(A, n-1));
    }
      
    // Driver code
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        int A[] = {1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2};
        int n = A.length;
          
        // Function calling
        System.out.println(findMinRec(A, n));
    }
}
  
//This code is contributed by Niraj_Pandey


Python3




# Recursive python 3 program to 
# find minimum
  
# function to print Minimum element 
# using recursion
def findMinRec(A, n):
      
    # if size = 0 means whole array
    # has been traversed
    if (n == 1):
        return A[0]
    return min(A[n - 1], findMinRec(A, n - 1))
  
# Driver Code
if __name__ == '__main__':
    A = [1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2]
    n = len(A)
    print(findMinRec(A, n))
  
# This code is contributed by
# Shashank_Sharma


C#




// Recursive C# program to find minimum 
using System;
  
class GFG
{
      
// function to return minimum 
// element using recursion 
public static int findMinRec(int []A,
                             int n) 
// if size = 0 means whole array 
// has been traversed 
if(n == 1) 
    return A[0]; 
      
    return Math.Min(A[n - 1],
                    findMinRec(A, n - 1)); 
  
// Driver code 
static public void Main ()
{
    int []A = {1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2}; 
    int n = A.Length; 
      
    // Function calling 
    Console.WriteLine(findMinRec(A, n)); 
  
// This code is contributed by Sachin


PHP




<?php
// Recursive PHP program to find minimum
  
// function to print Minimum
// element using recursion
function findMinRec($A, $n)
{
      
    // if size = 0 means whole 
    // array has been traversed
    if ($n == 1)
        return $A[0];
    return min($A[$n - 1], findMinRec($A, $n - 1));
}
  
    // Driver Code
    $A = array (1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2);
    $n = sizeof($A);
    echo findMinRec($A, $n);
  
// This code is contributed by akt
?>


Javascript




<script>
  
// Javascript program to find minimum
  
// Function to print Minimum
// element using recursion
function findMinRec(A, n)
{
      
    // If size = 0 means whole
    // array has been traversed
    if (n == 1)
        return A[0];
          
    return Math.min(A[n - 1], 
        findMinRec(A, n - 1));
}
  
// Driver Code
let A = [ 1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2 ];
let n = A.length;
  
document.write( findMinRec(A, n));
  
// This code is contributed by sravan kumar G
  
</script>


Output

-50

Recursive approach to find the Maximum element in the array

Approach:  

  • Get the array for which the maximum is to be found
  • Recursively find the maximum according to the following: 
    • Recursively traverse the array from the end
    • Base case: If the remaining array is of length 1, return the only present element i.e. arr[0] 
if(n == 1)
   return arr[0];
  • Recursive call: If the base case is not met, then call the function by passing the array of one size less from the end, i.e. from arr[0] to arr[n-1].
  • Return statement: At each recursive call (except for the base case), return the maximum of the last element of the current array (i.e. arr[n-1]) and the element returned from the previous recursive call. 
return max(arr[n-1], recursive_function(arr, n-1));
  • Print the returned element from the recursive function as the maximum element

Pseudocode for Recursive function:  

If there is single element, return it.
Else return maximum of following.
    a) Last Element
    b) Value returned by recursive call
       for n-1 elements.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++




// Recursive C++ program to find maximum
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
  
// function to return maximum element using recursion
int findMaxRec(int A[], int n)
{
    // if n = 0 means whole array has been traversed
    if (n == 1)
        return A[0];
    return max(A[n-1], findMaxRec(A, n-1));
}
  
// driver code to test above function
int main()
{
    int A[] = {1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2};
    int n = sizeof(A)/sizeof(A[0]);
    cout <<  findMaxRec(A, n);
    return 0;
}


Java




// Recursive Java program to find maximum
import java.util.*;
  
class GFG {
      
    // function to return maximum element using recursion
    public static int findMaxRec(int A[], int n)
    {
      // if size = 0 means whole array
      // has been traversed
      if(n == 1)
        return A[0];
          
        return Math.max(A[n-1], findMaxRec(A, n-1));
    }
  
    // Driver code
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        int A[] = {1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2};
        int n = A.length;
          
        // Function calling
        System.out.println(findMaxRec(A, n));
    }
}
  
//This code is contributed by Niraj_Pandey


Python3




# Recursive Python 3 program to 
# find maximum
  
# function to return maximum element
# using recursion
def findMaxRec(A, n):
  
    # if n = 0 means whole array 
    # has been traversed
    if (n == 1):
        return A[0]
    return max(A[n - 1], findMaxRec(A, n - 1))
  
# Driver Code
if __name__ == "__main__":
      
    A = [1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2]
    n = len(A)
    print(findMaxRec(A, n))
  
# This code is contributed by ita_c


C#




// Recursive C# program to find maximum 
using System;
  
class GFG
{
// function to return maximum 
// element using recursion 
public static int findMaxRec(int []A, 
                             int n) 
// if size = 0 means whole array 
// has been traversed 
if(n == 1) 
    return A[0]; 
      
    return Math.Max(A[n - 1], 
                    findMaxRec(A, n - 1)); 
  
// Driver code 
static public void Main ()
{
    int []A = {1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2}; 
    int n = A.Length; 
      
    // Function calling 
    Console.WriteLine(findMaxRec(A, n)); 
}
}
  
// This code is contributed by Sach_Code


PHP




<?php
// Recursive PHP program to find maximum
  
// function to return maximum
// element using recursion
function findMaxRec($A, $n)
{
    // if n = 0 means whole array 
    // has been traversed
    if ($n == 1)
        return $A[0];
    return max($A[$n - 1], 
        findMaxRec($A, $n - 1));
}
  
// Driver Code
$A = array(1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2);
$n = sizeof($A);
echo findMaxRec($A, $n);
  
// This code is contributed
// by Akanksha Rai
?>


Javascript




<script>
  
// Recursive Java program to find maximum
  
// Function to return maximum element 
// using recursion
function findMaxRec(A, n)
{
      
    // If size = 0 means whole array
    // has been traversed
    if (n == 1)
        return A[0];
      
    return Math.max(A[n - 1], 
        findMaxRec(A, n - 1));
}
  
// Driver code
let A = [ 1, 4, 45, 6, -50, 10, 2 ];
let n = A.length;
  
// Function calling
document.write(findMaxRec(A, n));
  
// This code is contributed by sravan kumar G
  
</script>


Output

45

Related article: 
Program to find largest element in an array

 



Last Updated : 19 Sep, 2023
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