Scan the array once, keeping the largest value seen so far. The replay highlights when a candidate replaces the running maximum.

Algorithm

Basic Implementation

basic.js
const arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6];
let best = arr[0];
for (let i = 1; i < arr.length; i++) {
  if (arr[i] > best) {
    best = arr[i];
  }
}
console.log(best);

Complexity

  • Time: O(n)
  • Space: O(1)

Implementation notes

  • Keep the explicit control flow. Library shortcuts would hide the state changes this lesson is meant to replay.
  • The final output is intentionally small and deterministic for cross-language comparison.
execution replay The checked-in replay follows the language-neutral state table for `array-find-max`.
cross-language comparison This JavaScript DSA version keeps the same data and final output as every other DSA book in this wave.