Difficulty: Hard

Average Score: 0%

An algorithm should output the range of a list of integers.

Which test is a valid test of the algorithm?

Rationale

Input [−8, −15, −2, −18, −16, 18]. Ensure output is 36.

This test case is valid because it correctly calculates the range of the provided list of integers. The range is determined by subtracting the minimum value (-18) from the maximum value (18), resulting in a range of 36.

A (Input [16, âˆ'13, 6, âˆ'7, 1, âˆ'15, âˆ'14]. Ensure output is 21.) YOUR ANSWER

This test case is incorrect. The minimum value in the list is -15 and the maximum value is 16. The range calculated from these values is 16 - (-15) = 31, not 21.

B (Input [âˆ'5, âˆ'10, âˆ'7, 4, 7, âˆ'8]. Ensure output is 14.) YOUR ANSWER

This test case is also incorrect. The minimum value is -10 and the maximum value is 7. The range is calculated as 7 - (-10) = 17, which does not match the expected output of 14.

C (Input [13, âˆ'3, 6, âˆ'7]. Ensure output is 7.) YOUR ANSWER

This test case is incorrect as well. The minimum value here is -7 and the maximum value is 13. The correct range is 13 - (-7) = 20, not 7.

D (Input [âˆ'8, âˆ'15, âˆ'2, âˆ'18, âˆ'16, 18]. Ensure output is 36.) CORRECT

This test case is valid because the maximum value is 18 and the minimum is -18. The range is accurately computed as 18 - (-18) = 36, confirming the correctness of the output.

Conclusion

Valid test cases for an algorithm must accurately reflect the result of the operation being tested. In this instance, only option D correctly computes the range of the integers, demonstrating the necessary relationship between maximum and minimum values. The other options fail to provide valid outputs, highlighting the importance of rigorous testing in algorithm verification.

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