Keeping track of the difference and the closest time might be easier e.g 
my $ctime = (stat($key))[10];
my($diff, $closest) = $ctime;
for(@returns) {
  $closest = $_ and $diff = abs($ctime - $_)
    if abs($ctime - $_) < $diff;
}
print "closest match is - $closest\n";

[download]
The code is untested, but it should give you something to work with, and saves having to keep a hash around of all the differences and times.
HTH

_________
broquaint

In reply to Re: Find a number in a list closest to a target by broquaint
in thread Find a number in a list closest to a target by gnu@perl

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