How to perform the arithmetic operations on arrays in C language?

In C programming, arrays allow us to store multiple related data items under a single name. We can perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and modulus on corresponding elements of two arrays.

For example, int student[30]; declares an array named student that can hold 30 integer values.

Array Operations

• Searching − Finding whether a particular element is present in the array
• Sorting − Arranging elements in ascending or descending order
• Traversing − Processing every element sequentially
• Inserting − Adding new elements to the array
• Deleting − Removing elements from the array

Syntax

for(i = 0; i < size; i++){
    add[i] = A[i] + B[i];    // Addition
    sub[i] = A[i] - B[i];    // Subtraction
    mul[i] = A[i] * B[i];    // Multiplication
    div[i] = A[i] / B[i];    // Division
    mod[i] = A[i] % B[i];    // Modulus
}

Example: Arithmetic Operations on Arrays

The following program demonstrates how to perform all basic arithmetic operations on two arrays −

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int A[4] = {23, 45, 89, 12};
    int B[4] = {67, 89, 2, 7};
    int size = 4;
    int i;
    
    int add[4], sub[4], mul[4], mod[4];
    float div[4];
    
    // Performing arithmetic operations
    for(i = 0; i < size; i++) {
        add[i] = A[i] + B[i];
        sub[i] = A[i] - B[i];
        mul[i] = A[i] * B[i];
        div[i] = (float)A[i] / B[i];
        mod[i] = A[i] % B[i];
    }
    
    // Displaying results
    printf("Array A: ");
    for(i = 0; i < size; i++) {
        printf("%d ", A[i]);
    }
    
    printf("\nArray B: ");
    for(i = 0; i < size; i++) {
        printf("%d ", B[i]);
    }
    
    printf("<br>\nArithmetic Operations:<br>");
    printf("Add\tSub\tMul\tDiv\tMod<br>");
    printf("-----------------------------------<br>");
    
    for(i = 0; i < size; i++) {
        printf("%d\t%d\t%d\t%.2f\t%d<br>", 
               add[i], sub[i], mul[i], div[i], mod[i]);
    }
    
    return 0;
}

Array A: 23 45 89 12 
Array B: 67 89 2 7 

Arithmetic Operations:
Add	Sub	Mul	Div	Mod
-----------------------------------
90	-44	1541	0.34	23
134	-44	4005	0.51	45
91	87	178	44.50	1
19	5	84	1.71	5

Key Points

• Both arrays must have the same size for element-wise operations
• Division should use float casting to avoid integer division truncation
• Modulus operation (%) works only with integer operands
• Always ensure array bounds are not exceeded during operations

Conclusion

Arithmetic operations on arrays in C involve processing corresponding elements from two arrays using loops. These operations are fundamental for mathematical computations and data processing in array-based algorithms.