AP CSA Unit 4 Day 10: Array Algorithm Find Maximum

Unit 4, Data Collections • Cycle 2
Day 10 Advanced Practice • Harder Difficulty
Focus: Array Algorithm: Find Maximum Hard Array Algorithm: Find Maximum

Advanced Practice Question

Format: Array Algorithm: Find Maximum

What is the output?
int[] nums = {3, 7, 2, 9, 5};
int max = nums[0];

for (int i = 0; i < nums.length; i++) {
    if (nums[i] > max) {
        max = nums[i];
    }
}

System.out.println(max);
Difficulty: Hard  |  Topic: Array Algorithm: Find Maximum  |  Cycle: 2 (Advanced)
Why This Answer?

Standard find max algorithm. Starts with max=3, updates to 7, keeps 7, updates to 9, keeps 9. Maximum is 9.

Common Mistake
Watch Out!

Starting max at 0 instead of nums[0] when array could contain negative numbers.

AP Exam Strategy

Always initialize max to first element (nums[0]), not to 0.

Master This Topic

This Cycle 2 HARD question tests array algorithm: find maximum. Review Unit 4 concepts to build mastery of data collections.

  • Understanding array algorithm: find maximum
  • Tracing code execution accurately
  • Avoiding common pitfalls
View Unit 4 Study Guide

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