Q.Write a program that prints minimum and maximum of five numbers entered by the user.
Read the five numbers one by one and keep two "records" — smallest-so-far and largest-so-far — updating them on each input; print both after the loop.
The idea. We do not need to store all five numbers: to know the minimum and maximum it is enough to carry two running values and let every new input challenge them. This running-record pattern is the standard way to aggregate a stream of inputs with a loop.
Algorithm
- Start with smallest = None, largest = None (no record yet).
- Repeat 5 times: input a number; if it beats the current smallest (or there is no record yet) it becomes smallest; likewise for largest.
- After the loop, print both records.
Program
smallest = None
largest = None
for i in range(1, 6):
num = int(input("Enter number " + str(i) + ": "))
if smallest is None or num < smallest:
smallest = num
if largest is None or num > largest:
largest = num
print("Minimum:", smallest)
print("Maximum:", largest)
Sample run with a step-by-step trace
Enter number 1: 34
Enter number 2: 12
Enter number 3: 78
Enter number 4: 5
Enter number 5: 56
Minimum: 5
Maximum: 78
| Input | smallest after | largest after |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 34 | 34 |
| 12 | 12 | 34 |
| 78 | 12 | 78 |
| 5 | 5 | 78 |
| 56 | 5 | 78 |
Key lines. The None sentinel means "no record yet", so the first number initialises both trackers without special-casing it. Both ifs are independent (not if–elif) because one input can break both records at once — as 34 does on the first pass.
If your class has covered lists, the same task is a two-liner: read the five numbers into a list nums and print min(nums), max(nums). The loop version shows the logic those built-ins hide.
The program keeps running minimum and maximum while reading five numbers; for the sample inputs 34, 12, 78, 5, 56 it prints Minimum: 5 and Maximum: 78.
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