Python: max/min builtin functions depend on parameter order

Question

max(float(\'nan\'), 1) evaluates to nan

max(1, float(\'nan\')) evaluates to 1

Is it the intended behavior?

---

Thanks for

Answer 1

Max works the following way:

The first item is set as maxval and then the next is compared to this value. The comparation will always return False:

>>> float('nan') < 1
False
>>> float('nan') > 1
False

So if the first value is nan, then (since the comparation returns false) it will not be replaced upon the next step.

OTOH if 1 is the first, the same happens: but in this case, since 1 was set, it will be the maximum.

You can verify this in the python code, just look up the function min_max in Python/bltinmodule.c