Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <python-python-list@m.gmane.org>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.007
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'argument': 0.05; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'subject:How': 0.10; 'iterator': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:dip0.t-ipconnect.de': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'received:t-ipconnect.de': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'header :User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'convenient': 0.24; "shouldn't": 0.24; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'van': 0.27; 'function': 0.29; "doesn't": 0.30; 'agree': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'leads': 0.36; 'returning': 0.36; 'doing': 0.36; 'useful': 0.36; 'wrong': 0.37; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'fact': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'called': 0.40; 'maximum': 0.63; 'refer': 0.63; 'albert': 0.91
X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/
To: python-list@python.org
From: Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de>
Subject: Re: How is max supposed to work, especially key.
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:31 +0100
Organization: None
References: <547760b3$0$6876$e4fe514c@dreader36.news.xs4all.nl> <mailman.16378.1417111312.18130.python-list@python.org> <548032dd$0$15926$e4fe514c@dreader35.news.xs4all.nl> <mailman.16552.1417688329.18130.python-list@python.org> <548038f8$0$15841$e4fe514c@dreader35.news.xs4all.nl>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit
X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: p57bd9f5e.dip0.t-ipconnect.de
User-Agent: KNode/4.13.3
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.16557.1417692680.18130.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 11
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1417692680 news.xs4all.nl 2932 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:39398
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:81899

Albert van der Horst wrote:
> I agree that it is a useful function and that it is doing
> the right thing. What is wrong is the name.
> I refer to the fact that it is not returning the maximum.
> It returns the iterator value that leads to the maximum.
> A function that doesn't return a maximum shouldn't be called
> maximum.

But a maximum is often ambiguous. What is max(people), the oldest, tallest, 
or richest person? The key argument is a convenient way to disambiguate.