Python Program to find the sum of array

In this article, we will learn different approaches to find the sum of all elements in an array. Python provides both manual iteration and built-in functions to accomplish this task.

Problem Statement

Given an array as input, we need to compute the sum of all elements in the array. We can solve this using manual iteration or Python's built-in sum() function.

Method 1: Using Built-in sum() Function

The simplest approach uses Python's built-in sum() function ?

# Using built-in sum() function
arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
result = sum(arr)
print('Sum of the array is', result)

Sum of the array is 15

Method 2: Using Manual Iteration

We can traverse the array and add each element to a sum variable ?

# Manual iteration approach
arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
total = 0

for element in arr:
    total += element
    
print('Sum of the array is', total)

Sum of the array is 15

Method 3: Using While Loop

Alternative approach using a while loop with index ?

# Using while loop
arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
total = 0
i = 0

while i < len(arr):
    total += arr[i]
    i += 1
    
print('Sum of the array is', total)

Sum of the array is 15

Method 4: Using NumPy (For Large Arrays)

For numerical computations with large arrays, NumPy provides an efficient solution ?

import numpy as np

# Using NumPy
arr = np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
result = np.sum(arr)
print('Sum of the array is', result)

Sum of the array is 15

Comparison

Conclusion

Python's built-in sum() function is the most efficient and readable approach for finding array sums. Use manual iteration when you need custom logic or are learning the fundamentals.