Second Largest Element in Array | Brute Force Method Explained 🚀
In this video, we’ll learn how to find the Second Largest Element in an array using a simple Brute Force (Sorting) approach.
We will go step by step and understand:
How sorting helps in solving the problem
How to handle duplicate elements
What to do when the second largest element does not exist
Edge cases like all elements being the same
🧠 Problem Statement
Given an array of integers nums, return the second-largest element.
If it does not exist, return -1.
🔍 Approach (Brute Force - Sorting)
Sort the array in ascending order
The largest element will be at the last index
Traverse backward to find the first element smaller than the largest
That element is your second largest
⚠️ Edge Cases Covered
Array has less than 2 elements → return -1
All elements are same → return -1
⏱️ Complexity
Time Complexity: O(N log N)
Space Complexity: O(1)
📌 Examples
Input: [8, 8, 7, 6, 5] → Output: 7
Input: [10, 10, 10, 10] → Output: -1
💡 This is a beginner-friendly DSA problem and a great starting point for mastering arrays!
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