RE: Greatest element in list
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg30493] RE: [mg30474] Greatest element in list
- From: "Wolf, Hartmut" <Hartmut.Wolf at t-systems.de>
- Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 04:05:52 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hello Oliver, as to the theorem you stated, I don't believe it. However, if you have in your list e.g. an undefined symbol or something where numerical comparison doesn't work, then you'll come to surprise. In[1]:= list = Table[Random[Real, {0, 100}], {100}]; In[2]:= (Position[#1, Max[#1]] & )[list = Append[list, "wake up"]] Out[2]= {} ;-) Hartmut > -----Original Message----- > From: Oliver Friedrich [mailto:oliver.friedrich at tz-mikroelektronik.de] To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 8:16 AM > To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > Subject: [mg30493] [mg30474] Greatest element in list > > > Hi, > > what's the best way to get the position of the greatest > number in list of > reals? I've tried > > Position[#,Max[#]]&list > > but surprisingly, it doesn't work all the time, sometimes it > returns an > empty list. How is that, because a theorem says that a non > empty set of real > numbers must have at least one biggest element. So Max[#] > can't be empty. > > Any solutions ? > > Oliver Friedrich > >