Kadane’s Algorithm — The Efficient Way to Find Maximum Subarray Sum

Understanding the Working, Advantages, and Use Cases of the Algorithm for Solving Maximum Subarray Problems | Karthikeyan Nagaraj

Karthikeyan Nagaraj
5 min readFeb 27, 2023

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Introduction:

Algorithms play a vital role in computer science, helping to solve complex problems in a structured and efficient way. One such algorithm is Kadane’s Algorithm, which is used to find the maximum subarray sum of an array of numbers.

The algorithm was first introduced by Jay Kadane in 1984 in his paper “Maximum Sum Subarray Problem.

What is Kadane’s Algorithm?

  • Kadane’s Algorithm is a dynamic programming algorithm used to solve the maximum subarray problem.
  • The maximum subarray problem is the task of finding the contiguous subarray within a one-dimensional array of numbers that has the largest sum.
  • The subarray can be of any length, including the entire array. Kadane’s Algorithm works by scanning through the array and keeping track of the current subarray sum, updating it as it goes along.
  • The algorithm returns the maximum subarray sum found.

The Uniqueness of Kadane’s…

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Karthikeyan Nagaraj

Entrepreneur | Writer | Cyber Security Consultant | AI Researcher