How To Get Max Value In Python

In this tutorial, we will learn how to find the maximum value from a list, tuple, or any other iterable in Python. We will explain different methods using built-in Python functions and custom approaches to find the max value in a collection of elements.

Step 1: Using Python’s Max Function

The simplest way to find the maximum value in a list or tuple is to use Python’s built-in max() function. It returns the largest item from the given iterable or the largest of two or more arguments.

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example_list = [12, 43, 23, 54, 67, 89, 20]
max_value = max(example_list)
print("Max Value: ", max_value)

Output:

Max Value: 89

This method also works for other iterables, such as tuples and sets:

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example_tuple = (12, 43, 23, 54, 67, 89, 20)
max_value = max(example_tuple)
print("Max Value: ", max_value)

Output:

Max Value: 89

Step 2: Using For Loop to Find Maximum Value

Another way to find the maximum value in a list or tuple is to use a for loop to iterate through each element. We can initialize a variable to hold the maximum value and update it whenever we encounter a larger value.

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example_list = [12, 43, 23, 54, 67, 89, 20]
 
max_value = example_list[0]
 
for num in example_list:
    if num > max_value:
        max_value = num
 
print("Max Value: ", max_value)

Output:

Max Value: 89

This approach can be used for any iterable, including tuples and sets.

Step 3: Using a Custom Function to Find Maximum Value

In some cases, you might need a custom function to find the maximum value in a list or tuple. This can be done by defining a function that accepts an iterable as an argument and returns the maximum value.

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def find_max(iterable):
    max_value = iterable[0]
    for num in iterable:
        if num > max_value:
            max_value = num
    return max_value
 
example_list = [12, 43, 23, 54, 67, 89, 20]
max_value = find_max(example_list)
print("Max Value: ", max_value)

Output:

Max Value: 89

Step 4: Using Python’s Max Function with Default Argument

If you need to find the maximum value in a list or tuple that might be empty, you can provide a default value for Python’s max() function. This ensures that the function returns the default value if the iterable you’re trying to get the max value from is empty.

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empty_list = []
default_value = 0
max_value = max(empty_list, default=default_value)
print("Max Value: ", max_value)

Output:

Max Value: 0

This can also be done with other iterables, such as tuples and sets.

Full Code

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def find_max(iterable):
    max_value = iterable[0]
    for num in iterable:
        if num > max_value:
            max_value = num
    return max_value
 
example_list = [12, 43, 23, 54, 67, 89, 20]
empty_list = []
default_value = 0
 
max_value_with_built_in = max(example_list)
print("Max Value with built-in: ", max_value_with_built_in)
 
max_value_with_for_loop = find_max(example_list)
print("Max Value with for loop: ", max_value_with_for_loop)
 
max_value_with_default = max(empty_list, default=default_value)
print("Max Value with default: ", max_value_with_default)

Output:

Max Value with built-in: 89
Max Value with for loop: 89
Max Value with default: 0

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we demonstrated four different methods for getting the maximum value from a list, tuple, or other iterable in Python. You can choose the one that best fits your needs, taking into account factors such as code readability, performance, and whether you need to handle empty iterables.