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second largest num
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Hi, I can find the largest number. But I can not find the second largest number. I dont know where to start.
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Join Date: Apr 2004
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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Erm,
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Join Date: Jul 2005
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Though the question has been answered, 'where to start' is important.
Before you start coding, always think out what you want the program to do on paper.
For this particular problem, what you need to think about is:
Assuming you compare the current maximum to another number, you then update the variable with the largest number.
But that means that the number just discarded is (by definition) the second largest number yet encountered.
But you're not done yet. As Rashakil Fol pointed out, there are additional cases, where the new number may be smaller than the maxiumum but smaller than the second, so you have to account for that.
And, what if you have equal numbers for your maximum or second largest?
Before you start coding, always think out what you want the program to do on paper.
For this particular problem, what you need to think about is:
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If I can find the largest number, how can I use that information or process to find the second largest number?
But that means that the number just discarded is (by definition) the second largest number yet encountered.
But you're not done yet. As Rashakil Fol pointed out, there are additional cases, where the new number may be smaller than the maxiumum but smaller than the second, so you have to account for that.
And, what if you have equal numbers for your maximum or second largest?
Ok, thanks it work. But for some odd reason I thought that I tried it just like that but it did not work for me. I will have to study this way to see where I went wrong.
ok, i tried many cases. Then only case that I found not to work is descending order. When I put the numbers in descendin order it always put the first number as it max and second max.
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Okay. Look at your algorithm and think about what it does.
Ok, I look at it carefully and think I found the problem. I think it was me declaring the variable max wrong. I initialized it to num and now I changed it to 0.
ok, i'm trying to have a case if the numbers are equal. I can do three numbers. But the fourth number I cant get to work.
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