JavaScript: Get nth largest element from an unsorted array

JavaScript Array: Exercise-34 with Solution

Nth Largest Element

Write a JavaScript function to get the nth largest element from an unsorted array.

Test Data:
console.log(nthlargest([ 43, 56, 23, 89, 88, 90, 99, 652], 4));
89

Visual Presentation:

Sample Solution:

JavaScript Code:

// Function to find the nth largest element in an array
function nthlargest(arra, highest) {
 // Initialize variables for array indices, temporary storage, array length, and flags
 var x = 0,
 y = 0,
 z = 0,
 temp = 0,
 tnum = arra.length,
 flag = false,
 result = false;
 // Iterate through the array while x is less than the array length
 while (x < tnum) { // Increment y to the next position y = x + 1; // Check if y is less than the array length if (y < tnum) { // Iterate through the array from y to the end for (z = y; z < tnum; z++) { // Check if the element at position x is less than the element at position z if (arra[x] < arra[z]) { // Swap the elements at positions x and z temp = arra[z]; arra[z] = arra[x]; arra[x] = temp; flag = true; // Set flag to true to indicate a swap } else { continue; // Continue to the next iteration if no swap is needed } } } // Check if a swap occurred if (flag) { flag = false; // Reset the flag } else { x++; // Move to the next position if no swap occurred // Check if x is equal to the desired highest position if (x === highest) { result = true; // Set result flag to true if x matches the desired position } } // Check if the result flag is set if (result) { break; // Break out of the loop if the result is found } } // Return the nth largest element from the array return arra[highest - 1]; } // Output the result of the nthlargest function with a sample array and position console.log(nthlargest([43, 56, 23, 89, 88, 90, 99, 652], 4)); 

Output:

89

Flowchart:

ES6 Version:

// Function to find the nth largest element in an array
function nthlargest(arra, highest) {
 let x = 0,
 y = 0,
 z = 0,
 temp = 0,
 tnum = arra.length,
 flag = false,
 result = false;
 // Iterate through the array
 while (x < tnum) { y = x + 1; // Check if y is less than the array length if (y < tnum) { // Iterate through the array from y to the end for (z = y; z < tnum; z++) { // Check if the current element is greater than the element at position x if (arra[x] < arra[z]) { // Swap the elements temp = arra[z]; arra[z] = arra[x]; arra[x] = temp; flag = true; } else { continue; } } } // Check if a swap occurred if (flag) { flag = false; } else { // Move to the next position x++; // Check if x is equal to the desired highest position if (x === highest) { result = true; } } // Check if the result is found if (result) { break; } } return arra[highest - 1]; } // Output the result of the nthlargest function with a sample array and position console.log(nthlargest([43, 56, 23, 89, 88, 90, 99, 652], 4)); 

Live Demo:

See the Pen JavaScript - Get nth largest element from an unsorted array - array-ex- 34 by w3resource (@w3resource) on CodePen.

For more Practice: Solve these Related Problems:

• Write a JavaScript function that finds the nth largest element in an unsorted array by sorting it first.
• Write a JavaScript function that uses a partial selection sort to determine the nth largest element efficiently.
• Write a JavaScript function that implements a max heap to extract the nth largest element without full sorting.
• Write a JavaScript function that handles duplicates by returning the nth largest unique element from the array.

Go to:

• JavaScript array Exercises Home ↩
• JavaScript Exercises Home ↩

PREV : Empty Array.
NEXT : Random Array Item.

Improve this sample solution and post your code through Disqus.