C Program – Find Largest Number Among Three Numbers - If/Else & Ternary

Find Largest Using If-Else

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    float a, b, c, largest;
    printf("Enter three numbers: ");
    scanf("%f %f %f", &a, &b, &c);
    largest = a;
    if (b > largest) {
        largest = b;
    }
    if (c > largest) {
        largest = c;
    }
    printf("Largest number = %.2f\n", largest);
    return 0;
}

Enter three numbers: 2 9 6
Largest number = 9.00
        

Practice: Largest If-Else

By initially assuming the first number is largest and comparing it with the other two, this approach updates the largest variable whenever a greater value is found.

Find Largest Using Ternary Operator

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    float a, b, c, largest;
    printf("Enter three numbers: ");
    scanf("%f %f %f", &a, &b, &c);
    largest = (a > b && a > c) ? a : ((b > c) ? b : c);
    printf("Largest number = %.2f\n", largest);
    return 0;
}

Enter three numbers: 5 1 9
Largest number = 9.00
        

Practice: Largest Ternary

The ternary operator provides a concise way to compare multiple values. By nesting conditional expressions, you can evaluate which of the three numbers is the largest in a single statement.