Calculate the Sum of Elements in an Array (Python)

Understanding Sum Calculation

Summing elements in an array involves adding all the elements together to get a total sum.

We will explore three different methods to calculate the sum of an array using Python.

Method 1: Using a Loop

This method iterates through the array and accumulates the sum.

def sum_array_loop(arr):
    total = 0
    for num in arr:
        total += num
    return total

arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print("Sum:", sum_array_loop(arr))

Output: Sum: 15

Method 2: Using Recursion

This method calculates the sum recursively.

def sum_recursive(arr, n):
    if n == 0:
        return 0
    return arr[n - 1] + sum_recursive(arr, n - 1)

arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print("Sum:", sum_recursive(arr, len(arr)))

Output: Sum: 15

Method 3: Using Built-in Function

This method calculates the sum using Python's built-in sum function.

arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print("Sum:", sum(arr))

Output: Sum: 15