Coding Challenge

Find the maximum and minimum values in a JavaScript array using two approaches: built-in methods with the spread operator and a single-pass reduce. Give this code a try and observe the results.

Task

Implement both approaches to determine the largest and smallest numbers in the array, then log them to the console. Do not change the array values.

Formula

max = Math.max(...arr), min = Math.min(...arr)
Single pass: reduce over arr updating { max, min }

Example Code

// Try running this snippet
const nums = [3, 10, -2, 7, 10];

// Approach 1: Built-ins with spread
const max1 = Math.max(...nums);
const min1 = Math.min(...nums);

// Approach 2: Single-pass reduce
const { max: max2, min: min2 } = nums.reduce((acc, n) => ({
  max: n > acc.max ? n : acc.max,
  min: n < acc.min ? n : acc.min
}), { max: -Infinity, min: Infinity });

// Print the results (both approaches should match)
console.log('Max:', max1, 'Min:', min1);
console.log('Max:', max2, 'Min:', min2);

Question

What will the console output for the array [3, 10, -2, 7, 10]?

Options

Max: 10, Min: -2
Max: 7, Min: -2
Max: 10, Min: 3
Max: -2, Min: 10

Hint: One approach uses the spread operator and the other evaluates each element once in a single pass.