Find Largest of Two Numbers in Java
beginner· Control Flow · Conditional Statements
Problem
The larger of two numbers is whichever one exceeds the other — a single comparison settles it.
Given two integers, determine which one is the larger.
Input
8, 15
Output
Largest number: 15
Java Program
Java
public class LargestOfTwoNumbers {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int a = 8, b = 15;
int largest;
if (a > b) {
largest = a;
} else {
largest = b; // also covers the tie case, where either value is a valid answer
}
System.out.println("Largest number: " + largest);
}
}Output
Largest number: 15
Core Logic
Comparing the two numbers directly with a single greater-than check picks out the larger one in one step.
How It Works
- 1
a > bchecks whether the first number is strictly greater than the second. - 2If true,
ais assigned tolargest. - 3Otherwise,
bis used instead — this covers both the case wherebis larger and the case where the two are equal.
For 8 and 15,
a > b is false, so largest takes b's value, 15.💡
Key Point: Falling through to b in the else branch also correctly handles a tie — when both numbers are equal, either one is a valid 'largest', so returning b is fine.
Key Concepts
if/elsecomparison operator
Approach 2: Using Math.max()
Java
public class LargestOfTwoNumbersMathMax {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int a = 8, b = 15;
// Math.max() picks the larger of the two directly
int largest = Math.max(a, b);
System.out.println("Largest number: " + largest);
}
}
Output
Largest number: 15
Core Logic
Java's own Math.max() already performs this exact comparison internally, so there's no need to write the if/else out by hand.
How It Works
- 1
Math.max(a, b)compares the two arguments and returns whichever is larger. - 2It handles a tie the same way the manual version does — returning either value when they're equal, since both are correct.
Math.max(8, 15) returns 15 directly.💡
Key Point: Math.max() is overloaded for int, long, float, and double, so the exact same call works regardless of which numeric type is being compared.
Key Concepts
Math.max()built-in method