Given an array A[] and a number x, check for pair in A[] with sum as x | Set 2

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

Given an array arr[] consisting of N integers, and an integer X, the task is to find two elements from the array arr[] having sum X. If there doesn't exist such numbers, then print "-1".

Examples:

Input: arr[] = {0, -1, 2, -3, 1}, X = -2
Output: -3, 1
Explanation:
From the given array the sum of -3 and 1 is equal to -2 (= X).

Input: arr[] = {1, -2, 1, 0, 5}, X = 0
Output: -1

Approach: The given problem can be solved by using sorting and binary search, The idea is to sort the array A[] and for each array element A[i], search whether there is another value (X - A[i]) present in the array or not. Follow the steps below to solve the problem:

Sort the given array arr[] in increasing order.
Traverse the array arr[] and for each array element A[i], initialize two variables low and high as 0 and (N - 1) respectively. Now, perform the Binary Search as per the following steps:
- If the value at index mid in the array arr[] is (X - A[i]), then print this current pair and break out of the loop.
- Update mid as (low + high)/2.
- If the value of A[mid] is less than X, then update low as (mid + 1). Otherwise, update high as (mid - 1).
After completing the above steps, if no such pair is found, then print -1.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program for the above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

// Function to check if the array has
// 2 elements whose sum is equal to
// the given value
void hasArrayTwoPairs(int nums[],
                      int n, int target)
{
    // Sort the array in increasing order
    sort(nums, nums + n);

    // Traverse the array, nums[]
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {

        // Store the required number
        // to be found
        int x = target - nums[i];

        // Perform binary search
        int low = 0, high = n - 1;
        while (low <= high) {

            // Store the mid value
            int mid = low
                      + ((high - low) / 2);

            // If nums[mid] is greater
            // than x, then update
            // high to mid - 1
            if (nums[mid] > x) {
                high = mid - 1;
            }

            // If nums[mid] is less
            // than x, then update
            // low to mid + 1
            else if (nums[mid] < x) {
                low = mid + 1;
            }

            // Otherwise
            else {

                // If mid is equal i,
                // check mid-1 and mid+1
                if (mid == i) {
                    if ((mid - 1 >= 0)
                        && nums[mid - 1] == x) {
                        cout << nums[i] << ", ";
                        cout << nums[mid - 1];
                        return;
                    }
                    if ((mid + 1 < n)
                        && nums[mid + 1] == x) {
                        cout << nums[i] << ", ";
                        cout << nums[mid + 1];
                        return;
                    }
                    break;
                }

                // Otherwise, print the
                // pair and return
                else {
                    cout << nums[i] << ", ";
                    cout << nums[mid];
                    return;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    // If no such pair is found,
    // then print -1
    cout << -1;
}

// Driver Code
int main()
{
    int A[] = { 0, -1, 2, -3, 1 };
    int X = -2;
    int N = sizeof(A) / sizeof(A[0]);

    // Function Call
    hasArrayTwoPairs(A, N, X);

    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program for the above approach
import java.util.*;
class GFG{


  // Function to check if the array has
  // 2 elements whose sum is equal to
  // the given value
  static void hasArrayTwoPairs(int nums[],
                               int n, int target)
  {
    
    // Sort the array in increasing order
    Arrays.sort(nums);

    // Traverse the array, nums[]
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {

      // Store the required number
      // to be found
      int x = target - nums[i];

      // Perform binary search
      int low = 0, high = n - 1;
      while (low <= high) {

        // Store the mid value
        int mid = low
          + ((high - low) / 2);

        // If nums[mid] is greater
        // than x, then update
        // high to mid - 1
        if (nums[mid] > x) {
          high = mid - 1;
        }

        // If nums[mid] is less
        // than x, then update
        // low to mid + 1
        else if (nums[mid] < x) {
          low = mid + 1;
        }

        // Otherwise
        else {

          // If mid is equal i,
          // check mid-1 and mid+1
          if (mid == i) {
            if ((mid - 1 >= 0)
                && nums[mid - 1] == x) {
              System.out.print(nums[i] + ", ");
              System.out.print( nums[mid - 1]);
              return;
            }
            if ((mid + 1 < n)
                && nums[mid + 1] == x) {
              System.out.print( nums[i] + ", ");
              System.out.print( nums[mid + 1]);
              return;
            }
            break;
          }

          // Otherwise, print the
          // pair and return
          else {
            System.out.print( nums[i] + ", ");
            System.out.print(nums[mid]);
            return;
          }
        }
      }
    }

    // If no such pair is found,
    // then print -1
    System.out.print(-1);
  }



  // Driver Code
  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
    int A[] = { 0, -1, 2, -3, 1 };
    int X = -2;
    int N = A.length;

    // Function Call
    hasArrayTwoPairs(A, N, X);
  }
}

// This code is contributed by code_hunt.

Python3

# Python3 program for the above approach

# Function to check if the array has
# 2 elements whose sum is equal to
# the given value
def hasArrayTwoPairs(nums, n, target):
  
    # Sort the array in increasing order
    nums = sorted(nums)

    # Traverse the array, nums[]
    for i in range(n):

        # Store the required number
        # to be found
        x = target - nums[i]

        # Perform binary search
        low, high = 0, n - 1
        while (low <= high):

            # Store the mid value
            mid = low + ((high - low) // 2)

            # If nums[mid] is greater
            # than x, then update
            # high to mid - 1
            if (nums[mid] > x):
                high = mid - 1

            # If nums[mid] is less
            # than x, then update
            # low to mid + 1
            elif (nums[mid] < x):
                low = mid + 1

            # Otherwise
            else:

                # If mid is equal i,
                # check mid-1 and mid+1
                if (mid == i):
                    if ((mid - 1 >= 0) and nums[mid - 1] == x):
                        print(nums[i], end = ", ")
                        print(nums[mid - 1])
                        return
                    if ((mid + 1 < n) and nums[mid + 1] == x):
                        print(nums[i], end = ", ")
                        print(nums[mid + 1])
                        return
                    break
                    
                # Otherwise, print the
                # pair and return
                else:
                    print(nums[i], end = ", ")
                    print(nums[mid])
                    return

    # If no such pair is found,
    # then print -1
    print (-1)

# Driver Code
if __name__ == '__main__':

    A = [0, -1, 2, -3, 1]
    X = -2
    N = len(A)

    # Function Call
    hasArrayTwoPairs(A, N, X)

# This code is contributed by mohit kumar 29.

// C# program for the above approach
using System;
public class GFG
{
    
    // Function to check if the array has
    // 2 elements whose sum is equal to
    // the given value
    static void hasArrayTwoPairs(int[] nums, int n, int target)
    {
      
        // Sort the array in increasing order
        Array.Sort(nums);
        
        // Traverse the array, nums[]
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) 
        {
          
            // Store the required number
            // to be found
            int x = target - nums[i];
 
            // Perform binary search
            int low = 0, high = n - 1;
            while (low <= high)
            {
 
                // Store the mid value
                int mid = low + ((high - low) / 2);
 
                // If nums[mid] is greater
                // than x, then update
                // high to mid - 1
                if (nums[mid] > x) {
                    high = mid - 1;
                }
 
                // If nums[mid] is less
                // than x, then update
                // low to mid + 1
                else if (nums[mid] < x) {
                    low = mid + 1;
                }
 
                // Otherwise
                else {
 
                    // If mid is equal i,
                    // check mid-1 and mid+1
                    if (mid == i) {
                        if ((mid - 1 >= 0) && nums[mid - 1] == x) {
                            Console.Write(nums[i] + ", ");
                            Console.Write( nums[mid - 1]);
                            return;
                        }
                        if ((mid + 1 < n) && nums[mid + 1] == x) {
                            Console.Write( nums[i] + ", ");
                            Console.Write( nums[mid + 1]);
                            return;
                        }
                        break;
                    } 
 
                    // Otherwise, print the
                    // pair and return
                    else {
                        Console.Write( nums[i] + ", ");
                        Console.Write(nums[mid]);
                        return;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
 
        // If no such pair is found,
        // then print -1
        Console.Write(-1);
    }
    
    // Driver Code
    static public void Main (){
        int[] A = { 0, -1, 2, -3, 1 };
        int X = -2;
        int N = A.Length;
 
        // Function Call
        hasArrayTwoPairs(A, N, X);
    }
}

// This code is contributed by avanitrachhadiya2155

JavaScript

 <script>

// Javascript program for the above approach

// Function to check if the array has
// 2 elements whose sum is equal to
// the given value
function hasArrayTwoPairs(nums, n, target)
{
    // Sort the array in increasing order
    nums.sort();
    var i;
    // Traverse the array, nums[]
    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {

        // Store the required number
        // to be found
        var x = target - nums[i];

        // Perform binary search
        var low = 0, high = n - 1;
        while (low <= high) {

            // Store the mid value
            var mid = low
                      + (Math.floor((high - low) / 2));

            // If nums[mid] is greater
            // than x, then update
            // high to mid - 1
            if (nums[mid] > x) {
                high = mid - 1;
            }

            // If nums[mid] is less
            // than x, then update
            // low to mid + 1
            else if (nums[mid] < x) {
                low = mid + 1;
            }

            // Otherwise
            else {

                // If mid is equal i,
                // check mid-1 and mid+1
                if (mid == i) {
                    if ((mid - 1 >= 0)
                        && nums[mid - 1] == x) {
                        document.write(nums[i] + ", ");
                        document.write(nums[mid - 1]);
                        return;
                    }
                    if ((mid + 1 < n) && nums[mid + 1] == x) {
                        document.write(nums[i] + ", ");
                        document.write(nums[mid + 1]);
                        return;
                    }
                    break;
                }

                // Otherwise, print the
                // pair and return
                else {
                    document.write(nums[i] +", ");
                    document.write(nums[mid]);
                    return;
                }
            }
        }
    }

    // If no such pair is found,
    // then print -1
    document.write(-1);
}

// Driver Code
    var A =  [0, -1, 2, -3, 1];
    var X = -2;
    var N = A.length;

    // Function Call
    hasArrayTwoPairs(A, N, X);

</script>

Output:

-3, 1

Time Complexity: O(N*log N)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)

Alternate Approaches: Refer to the previous post of this article to know about more approaches to solve this problem.

Analysis of Algorithms

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Binary Search

Given an array A[] and a number x, check for pair in A[] with sum as x | Set 2

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