How to Get Maximum and Minimum Number in a Ruby Array

1. Use the min Method to Get Minimum Number in an Array in Ruby
2. Use the max Method to Get Maximum Number in an Array in Ruby
3. Use the minmax Method in Ruby

Ruby’s Array class includes the Enumerable module and its implementation. As a result, it has access to some Enumerable methods.

The max and min methods are some of the Enumerable methods used to get the maximum and the minimum number of an Array.

Use the min Method to Get Minimum Number in an Array in Ruby

Example Code:

numbers = [5, 1, 9, -4, 3]
puts numbers.min
puts numbers.min(2)

Output:

-4
[-4, 1]

Calling min without an argument returns the minimum number (element) but returns the n-smallest numbers if argument "n" is passed to it.

Use the max Method to Get Maximum Number in an Array in Ruby

Example Code:

numbers = [5, 1, 9, -4, 3]
puts numbers.max
puts numbers.max(2)

Output:

9
[9, 5]

If max is called without an argument, it returns the biggest number (element). If argument "n" is passed to it, it returns the n-largest numbers.

Use the minmax Method in Ruby

The minmax method returns a two-element array that contains the minimum and the maximum value in the given array.

Example Code:

numbers = [5, 1, 9, -4, 3]
puts numbers.minmax

Output:

[-4, 9]