Find Missing Number in Sequence

Find missing number in array containing 1 to n with one missing.

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# Take array
n = int(input("Enter n (expected range 1 to n): "))
arr = []
for i in range(n - 1):
    arr.append(int(input(f"Element {i+1}: ")))

# Calculate expected sum
expected_sum = n * (n + 1) // 2
actual_sum = sum(arr)
missing = expected_sum - actual_sum

print(f"Missing number: {missing}")

Output

Enter n (expected range 1 to n): 5
Element 1: 1
Element 2: 2
Element 3: 4
Element 4: 5
Missing number: 3

Use sum formula to find missing number.

Key Concepts:

  • Expected sum = n*(n+1)/2
  • Actual sum from array
  • Missing = expected - actual