Python Program to Find Smallest Number in a List

Write a Python Program to find the Smallest Number in a List using the min function, for loop, and sort function with a practical example. The min() function returns the least value, the sort() function sorts the list in ascending order, and the first value will be the least.

Python Program to Find the Smallest Number in a List

In this example, we declared a list of random integer values. The min function returns the minimum value in a List.

a = [10, 50, 60, 80, 20, 15]

print(min(a))

10

This Python program is the same as the one above. But this time, we are allowing the user to enter the length of a List. Next, we used a For Loop to add numbers to the Python list.

NumList = []
Number = int(input("Please enter the Total Number of List Elements: "))
for i in range(1, Number + 1):
    value = int(input("Please enter the Value of %d Element : " %i))
    NumList.append(value)

print("The Smallest Element in this List is : ", min(NumList))

Python Program to find the Smallest Number in a List using the sort function

The sort function sorts list elements in ascending order. Next, we are using Index position 0 to print the first element in a List.

a = [100, 50, 60, 80, 20, 15]

a.sort()
print(a[0])

20

This list’s smallest number is the same as above. But this time, we allow users to enter their list items.

NumList = []
Number = int(input("Please enter the Total Number of List Elements: "))
for i in range(1, Number + 1):
    value = int(input("Please enter the Value of %d Element : " %i))
    NumList.append(value)

NumList.sort()
print("The Smallest Element in this List is : ", NumList[0])

Python Program to find the Smallest Number in a List using for loop

The below program uses the for loop to iterate the list items. Next, it compares each one against the smallest item, which is the first list value. If any element is less than the first value, it is the smallest number in a list.

a = [7, 6, 8, 2, 10, 5]

smallest = a[0]
i = 0

for n in a:
    if n < smallest:
        smallest = n
        i = a.index(n)

print(smallest, "available in", i)

2 available in 3

In this program, we are not using any built-in function such as the sort or min function.

NumList = []
Number = int(input("Please enter the Total Number of List Elements: "))
for i in range(1, Number + 1):
    value = int(input("Please enter the Value of %d Element : " %i))
    NumList.append(value)

smallest = NumList[0]    
for j in range(1, Number):
    if(smallest > NumList[j]):
        smallest = NumList[j]
        position = j

print("The Smallest Element in this List is : ", smallest)
print("The Index position of the Smallest Element is : ", position)

From the above Python Program to find the Smallest Number in a List example, the User inserted values are
NumList[5] = {223, 43, 22, 67, 54}
smallest = NumList[0] = 223

First Iteration – for 1 in range(1, 5) – Condition is true. So, it executes the If statement inside the loop until the condition fails.

if (smallest > NumList[j]) inside the for loop is True because (223 > 43).
smallest = NumList[1] => 43.
position = 1

Second Iteration: for 2 in range(1, 5) – Condition is true.
If (smallest > NumList[2])  =  (43 > 22) – Condition True.
smallest = NumList[2] => 22
Position = 2

Third Iteration: for 3 in range(1, 5) – Condition is true.
If (smallest > NumList[3])  =  (22 > 67) – Condition False
smallest = 22
Position = 2

Fourth Iteration: for 4 in range(1, 5) – Condition is true
If (22 > 54) – Condition False
smallest = 22
Position = 2

Fifth Iteration: for 5 in range(1, 5) – Condition is False. So, it exits from the loop.

If you want the Python Program to find the Smallest Number in a List using a while loop code, replace the for loop with the below code.

j = 1
while j < Number:
    if(smallest > NumList[j]):
        smallest = NumList[j]
        position = j
    j = j + 1