December 24 - Efficiently Finding the Largest Item in an Array in Ruby
In this coding exercise, we walk through how to efficiently find the largest item in an array. Additionally, we examine how to implement performance tests to compare two different implementation options.
Guide Tasks
- Read Tutorial
- Watch Guide Video
- Complete the Exercise
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Summary
Implement a method that finds the largest integer in an array without using Ruby's built-in
maxmethod. Additionally, ensure that the algorithm can work efficiently on large sets of data.
Exercise Description
Given the following array:
[1, 6, 3, 10, 5, 3]
Write a program that returns the largest integer in the array.
Example Output
10
Real World Usage
Finding the largest element in a collection is used in many algorithms. Additionally, you'll discover that there are multiple solutions to this exercise, however, not all of the solutions are efficient. Working through this exercise should help you analyze the performance of each implementation option. And performance analysis is important in day to day development.