Python – max() function

Python max() function returns the largest item in an iterable or the largest of two or more arguments.

It has two forms.

• max() function with objects
• max() function with iterable

Python max() function With Objects

Unlike the max() function of C/C++, the max() function in Python can take any type of object and return the largest among them. In the case of strings, it returns the lexicographically largest value.

Syntax : max(arg1, arg2, *args[, key]) 

Parameters : 

• arg1, arg2 : objects of the same datatype
• *args : multiple objects
• key : function where comparison of iterable is performed based on its return value

Returns : The maximum value 

Example of Python max() function

We can use max() function to locate the largest item in Python. Below are some examples:

Example 1: Finding the Maximum of 3 Integer Variables

The code initializes three variables with values (var1 = 4, var2 = 8, var3 = 2) and then finds the maximum value among them using the max() function. The result, that is 8, is printed to the screen.

Python3

var1 = 4
var2 = 8
var3 = 2

max_val = max(var1, var2, var3)
print(max_val)

Output

8

Example 2: Finding the Maximum of 3 String Variables

By default, it will return the string with the maximum lexicographic value. In this example, as max() is used to locate the largest item in Python, we are using max() to find maximum out of 3 string variable.

Python3

var1 = "geeks"
var2 = "for"
var3 = "geek"

max_val = max(var1, var2, var3)
print(max_val)

Output

geeks

Example 3: Finding the Maximum of 3 String Variables According to the Length

We will be passing a key function in the max() method. 

Python3

var1 = "geeks"
var2 = "for"
var3 = "geek"

max_val = max(var1, var2, var3,
            key=len)
print(max_val)

Output

geeks

Example 4: Python max() Exception

If we pass parameters of different datatypes, then an exception will be raised.

Python3

integer = 5
string = "geek"

max_val = max(integer, string)
print(max_val)

Output

TypeError: '>' not supported between instances of 'str' and 'int'

Example 5: Python max() Float

In this example, max() function is used to find and store the maximum value within this list, which is 1.3.

Python3

list = [1.2, 1.3, 0.1]
max_value = max(list)
print(max_value)

Output

1.3

Example 6: Python max() Index

In this example, we are using max() to finds and prints the position of the maximum value in a given list.

Python3

# function to find minimum and maximum position in list
def maximum(a, n):

    # inbuilt function to find the position of maximum
    maxpos = a.index(max(a))

    # printing the position
    print ("The maximum is at position", maxpos + 1)

# driver code
a = [3, 4, 1, 3, 4, 5]
maximum(a, len(a))

Output

The maximum is at position 6

max() Function With iterable In Python

When an iterable is passed to the max() function it returns the largest item of the iterable. 

Syntax : max(iterable, *iterables[, key, default]) 
Parameters : 

• iterable : iterable object like list or string.
• *iterables : multiple iterables
• key : function where comparison of iterable is performed based on its return value
• default : value if the iterable is empty

Returns : The maximum value. 

Example 1: Finding the Lexicographically Maximum Character in a String

This code defines a string “GeeksforGeeks” and then uses the max() function to find and print the character with the highest Unicode value within the string, which is ‘s’.

Python3

string = "GeeksforGeeks"

max_val = max(string)
print(max_val)

Output

s

Example 2: Finding the Lexicographically Maximum String in a String List

This code creates a list of strings, “string_list,” containing [“Geeks”, “for”, “Geeks”]. It then uses the max() function to find and print the maximum string based on lexicographic order

Python3

string_list = ["Geeks", "for", "Geeks"]

max_val = max(string_list)
print(max_val)

Output

for

Example 3: Finding the Longest String in a String List

In this code, there is a list of strings, “string_list,” containing [“Geeks”, “for”, “Geek”]. It utilizes the max() function with the key=len argument, which compares the strings based on their lengths.

Python3

string_list = ["Geeks", "for", "Geek"]

max_val = max(string_list, key=len)
print(max_val)

Output

Geeks

Example 4: If the Iterable is Empty, the Default Value will be Displayed

This code initializes an empty dictionary, “dictionary,” and then uses the max() function with the default argument set to a default value, which is the dictionary {1: "Geek"}.

Python3

dictionary = {}

max_val = max(dictionary,
            default={1: "Geek"})
print(max_val)

Output

{1: 'Geek'}