How to find the sum of an array of numbers

86    Asked by OwenWelch in Java , Asked on May 13, 2025

How can you find the sum of an array of numbers in programming? Learn how to use loops or built-in functions to efficiently calculate the total of all elements in an array across different programming languages.

Answered by Perry Burt

Finding the sum of an array of numbers is a common task in many programming languages. There are different ways to achieve this, including using loops, built-in functions, or even advanced methods depending on the language you're using.

 Using a Loop:

In most programming languages, you can sum the elements of an array using a simple loop.

Example in [removed]

let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
let sum = 0;
for (let i = 0; i < numbers xss=removed>

This approach iterates over each element of the array, adding it to a running total (sum).

 Using Built-In Functions:

Many programming languages provide built-in methods to make this process more concise and efficient.

Example in Python (using sum()):

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_value = sum(numbers)
print(sum_value) # Output: 15

Python’s sum() function automatically adds up all the elements in the array.

Example in JavaScript (using reduce()):

let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
let sum = numbers.reduce((acc, num) => acc + num, 0);
console.log(sum); // Output: 15

The reduce() method takes a callback function to accumulate the total.

 Key Tips:

  • Loops give you full control over how you sum the array and are useful when you need custom logic.
  • Built-in functions like sum() or reduce() make the code shorter and more readable, and are usually more optimized.

Depending on your use case, you can choose between writing a custom loop or using the built-in methods provided by the language for more efficient and concise code.



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