Re: math.min, math.max

[Dirk Laurie <dirk.laurie@...>]

2014-04-09 12:15 GMT+02:00 Oliver Kroth <oliver.kroth@nec-i.de>:
> Is this so?
>
> I would expect the minimum or maximum element of the argument list to be
> returned as result.
> With an empty list, I would not be confused to get nil.

It's the same principle by which when n<1,

   1 + 2 + 3 + ... + n

evaluates to 0  and

   1 * 2 * 3 * ... * n

evaluates to 1.

max satisfies relationships like: max(a,b,c,d) = max(max(a,b),max(c,d)),
no matter how you split up the arguments. For a consistent definition
of max(), you need max(a,b,c,d) = max(max(),max(a,b,c,d)). But the
only value of x for which always y = max(x,y) is x=-math.huge.

At present you don't get nil, you get an error.