A common task that developers perform when doing data analysis is to find the difference between the maximum and minimum values of a given dataset. Doing this manually can be time-consuming. This guide provides an easy to follow method for quickly finding the difference between the maximum and minimum of any dataset.
Step-by-Step Guide
Create a variable to represent the maximum value of the dataset and assign it an initial value of 0.
Use a loop to traverse through the elements of the dataset.
Compare the value of the current element with the value of the maximum variable.
If the value of the element is greater than the value of the maximum variable, set the value of the maximum variable to the value of the element.
After the loop has finished running, the maximum variable will contain the maximum value of the dataset.
Create a variable to represent the minimum value of the dataset and assign it an initial value of Number.MAX_VALUE.
Use a loop to traverse through the elements of the dataset.
Compare the value of the current element with the value of the minimum variable.
If the value of the element is less than the value of the minimum variable, set the value of the minimum variable to the value of the element.
After the loop has finished running, the minimum variable will contain the minimum value of the dataset.
Subtract the value of the minimum variable from the value of the maximum variable to find the difference between the maximum and minimum.
FAQ
- What if I have a dataset that has negative values?
In this case, the same steps should be followed with the only difference that the initial value of the maximum variable should be set to Number.MIN_VALUE instead of 0.
- What if my dataset has duplicate values?
If your dataset has duplicate values, you will still be able to find the difference between the maximum and minimum values. However, since there may be more than one element with the same maximum or minimum values, the variable containing the maximum or minimum value may not be the exact maximum or minimum value of the dataset.