How To Compare Negative Numbers In Javascript

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to compare negative numbers in JavaScript. Comparing negative numbers can be a common task when working with data sets that include negative values, such as financial or statistical data. We’ll look at different ways to perform these comparisons and gain a better understanding of the behavior of negative numbers in JavaScript.

Step 1: Understand JavaScript Number Comparisons

When comparing numbers in JavaScript, we typically use comparison operators such as less than (<), greater than (>), less than or equal to (<=), and greater than or equal to (>=). These operators help us determine whether one number is smaller, larger, or equal to another number.

In general, negative numbers are considered smaller than positive numbers, and when comparing two negative numbers, the one closer to zero is considered larger. For example:

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-3 < -2 // True
-3 > -5 // True
-1 >= -1 // True
-7 <= 3 // True
10 > -5 // True

Step 2: Compare Negative Numbers Using Comparison Operators

Let’s say we have two negative numbers, A and B. We can directly compare these numbers using the following comparison operators:

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let A = -3;
let B = -2;
 
console.log(A < B);  // Output: True
console.log(A > B);  // Output: False
console.log(A >= B); // Output: False
console.log(A <= B); // Output: True

These operators will help us compare negative numbers in many different situations when working in JavaScript.

Step 3: Compare Negative Numbers in an Array

If we have a list of negative numbers and need to compare them or find the smallest/largest value, we can use the JavaScript Array.prototype.sort() method.

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let numbers = [-3, -6, -1, -7, -4];
 
numbers.sort((a, b) => a - b);
 
console.log(numbers); // Output: [ -7, -6, -4, -3, -1 ]

After sorting the array in ascending order, the smallest number will be located at the first index (index 0), and the largest number will be at the last index.

Full Code

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let A = -3;
let B = -2;
 
console.log(A < B);  // Output: True
console.log(A > B);  // Output: False
console.log(A >= B); // Output: False
console.log(A <= B); // Output: True
 
let numbers = [-3, -6, -1, -7, -4];
 
numbers.sort((a, b) => a - b);
 
console.log(numbers); // Output: [ -7, -6, -4, -3, -1 ]

Conclusion

This tutorial taught us how to compare negative numbers in JavaScript using comparison operators and the Array.sort() method. With a clear understanding of how JavaScript handles negative number comparisons, you can easily perform complex tasks when working with data sets that include negative values.