Sign of Minimum
Programming Basics · Java
TASK
Problem
Given two integers `a` and `b`, compute the smaller input, then print the sign of the result (-1, 0, or 1).
EXAMPLE
Example
7 3
1
LIMITS
Constraints
-1000 ≤ a, b ≤ 1000
LEARN
Theory for this problem
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The core idea of **Sign of Minimum** is to model the requested operation directly: Given two integers `a` and `b`, compute the smaller input, then print the sign of the result (-1, 0, or 1). The reference solution uses `Scanner` for input. Keep only the state needed for this result, choose numeric types that cover the stated bounds, and preserve the exact input/output contract. This makes the solution easier to verify on boundary cases and avoids unrelated work.
NEED HELP?
Hints
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['First compute `Math.min(a, b)` and store it as the intermediate result.', 'Then apply `Long.compare(result, 0)` to that result and print only the final value.']
ANSWER
Solution
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import java.util.*;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
long a = sc.nextLong();
long b = sc.nextLong();
long result = Math.min(a, b);
long answer = Long.compare(result, 0);
System.out.println(answer);
}
}