How Can I Find the Closest Value to a Target in an Array?

Searching and Identifying the Closest Value in an Array

Often, the need arises when searching for the closest value in an array based on a specified target. To address this scenario, let's examine an approach that effectively handles this problem.

Solution:

To determine the closest value to a target value within an array, we can utilize a simple algorithm:

function getClosest($search, $arr) {
   $closest = null;
   foreach ($arr as $item) {
      if ($closest === null || abs($search - $closest) > abs($item - $search)) {
         $closest = $item;
      }
   }
   return $closest;
}

In this algorithm, we iterate through the array, comparing the difference between the target and the current item to the already established closest value. If the difference with the current item is smaller, it becomes the new closest value.

Example:

Consider the example array provided:

array(0, 5, 10, 11, 12, 20)

If we search for the closest value to 3, the function will return 5. Similarly, for a target value of 14, the algorithm will identify 12 as the closest.

This algorithm efficiently finds the closest value to the target within an array, making it a reliable tool for various applications.

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