/**
 * Finds extremal elements in an array
 *
 * @author  Prof. David Bernstein, James Madison University
 * @version 1.0
 */
public class Extreminator
{
    /**
     * Find the infimum
     *
     * @param values   The array of values to search
     */
    public int findInf(int[] values)
    {
		int       inf;

		inf = findInf(values, 0, Integer.MAX_VALUE);

		return inf;
    }


    /**
     * The recursive function that does all of the work
     * involved in finding an infimum
     *
     * @param values     The array of values to search
     * @param startIndex The index to begin ths search
     * @param soFar      The best value found so far
     */
    private int findInf(int[] values, int startIndex, int soFar)
    {
		if (startIndex >= values.length)
		{
	    // The base case -- don't change soFar
		} 
		else
		{
	    // Refinement -- start at the next index
	 	   if (values[startIndex] < soFar)
	    	{
				soFar = values[startIndex];
	    	}

	    	soFar = findInf(values, startIndex+1, soFar);
		}

		return soFar;
    }

}