C Exercises: Find the second smallest element in an array

C Array: Exercise-17 with Solution

Write a program in C to find the second smallest element in an array.

Pictorial Presentation:

Sample Solution:

C Code:

#include <stdio.h>

void main()
{
  int arr1[50],n,i,j=0,sml,sml2nd;
  
       printf("\n\nFind the second smallest element in an array :\n");
       printf("--------------------------------------------------\n");  
  
       printf("Input the size of array : ");
       scanf("%d", &n);
    /* Stored values into the array*/
       printf("Input %d elements in the array (value must be <9999) :\n",n);
       for(i=0;i<n;i++)
            {
	      printf("element - %d : ",i);
	      scanf("%d",&arr1[i]);
	    }
/* find location of the smallest element in the array */		
   sml=arr1[0];
  for(i=0;i<n;i++)
  {
      if(sml>arr1[i])
	  {
           sml=arr1[i];
           j = i;
      }
  }

/* ignore the smallest element and find the 2nd smallest element in the array */		
   sml2nd=99999;
  for(i=0;i<n;i++)
  {
     if(i==j)
        {
          i++;  /* ignoring the smallest element */
		  i--;
        }
      else
        {
          if(sml2nd>arr1[i])
	     {
               sml2nd=arr1[i];
             }
        }
  }

  printf("The Second smallest element in the array is :  %d \n\n", sml2nd);
}

Sample Output:

Find the second smallest element in an array :                                                                
--------------------------------------------------                                                            
Input the size of array : 5                                                                                   
Input 5 elements in the array (value must be <9999) :                                                         
element - 0 : 0                                                                                               
element - 1 : 9                                                                                               
element - 2 : 4                                                                                               
element - 3 : 6                                                                                               
element - 4 : 5                                                                                               
The Second smallest element in the array is :  4 

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