Arrays and Iteration
Array Sum (Linear Scan)
Walk an array once, accumulating each element into a running total. This is
the canonical single-pass linear scan and the simplest possible loop
invariant: after step i, total equals the sum of arr[0..i].
Algorithm
The canonical input from the lesson spec is
arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]. After eight passes the running total is
31.
linear scan
Visit each element exactly once in index order.
running total
`total` accumulates the sum as the loop advances.
Basic Implementation
basic.swift
Replay: real traced execution (multi-file project)
let arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]
var total = 0
for i in arr.indices {
total = total + arr[i]
}
print(total)
arr ← [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]
1let arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]2var total = 0values this step[3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]arrtotal ← 0
1let arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]2var total = 03for i in arr.indices {values this step0total[3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]arrtotal ← 3
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step0 → 3total0i3arr[i]total ← 4
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step3 → 4total1i1arr[i]total ← 8
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step4 → 8total2i4arr[i]total ← 9
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step8 → 9total3i1arr[i]total ← 14
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step9 → 14total4i5arr[i]total ← 23
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step14 → 23total5i9arr[i]total ← 25
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step23 → 25total6i2arr[i]total ← 31
3for i in arr.indices {4 total = total + arr[i]5}values this step25 → 31total7i6arr[i]
Trace Output
trace.swift
Replay: real traced execution (multi-file project)
let arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]
var total = 0
for i in arr.indices {
let before = total
total = total + arr[i]
print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")
}
print("final total = \(total)")
total ← 3, stdout ← step 0: arr[0]=3 total 0 -> 3
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step3totalstep 0: arr[0]=3 total 0 -> 3stdout0before3arr[i]total ← 4, stdout ← step 1: arr[1]=1 total 3 -> 4
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step4totalstep 1: arr[1]=1 total 3 -> 4stdout3before1arr[i]total ← 8, stdout ← step 2: arr[2]=4 total 4 -> 8
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step8totalstep 2: arr[2]=4 total 4 -> 8stdout4before4arr[i]total ← 9, stdout ← step 3: arr[3]=1 total 8 -> 9
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step9totalstep 3: arr[3]=1 total 8 -> 9stdout8before1arr[i]total ← 14, stdout ← step 4: arr[4]=5 total 9 -> 14
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step14totalstep 4: arr[4]=5 total 9 -> 14stdout9before5arr[i]total ← 23, stdout ← step 5: arr[5]=9 total 14 -> 23
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step23totalstep 5: arr[5]=9 total 14 -> 23stdout14before9arr[i]total ← 25, stdout ← step 6: arr[6]=2 total 23 -> 25
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step25totalstep 6: arr[6]=2 total 23 -> 25stdout23before2arr[i]total ← 31, stdout ← step 7: arr[7]=6 total 25 -> 31
4let before = total5total = total + arr[i]6print("step \(i): arr[\(i)]=\(arr[i]) total \(before) -> \(total)")values this step31totalstep 7: arr[7]=6 total 25 -> 31stdout25before6arr[i]stdout ← final total = 31
7}8print("final total = \(total)")values this stepfinal total = 31stdout31total
Complexity
- Time: O(n)
- Space: O(1)
Implementation notes
- Swift: use an explicit
for i in arr.indicesloop withvar total = 0. The stdlibarr.reduce(0, +)is fine for production but hides the loop the lesson spec is teaching. let arr = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6]documents the fixed-size array contract;arr.indicesgives the explicit index range without leaning on a helper that hides the iteration.- The replay shows
i,arr[i], andtotalbefore and after each addition, matching the lesson spec's state-transition table.