CODEWITHSUNDEEP
python
JuanB457
JuanB457

Reputation: 107

Beginning Python: Find greatest number from function that gives input list of positive integers

  1. New to python, having trouble getting the function to display the greatest number, for some reason I have the number display the least. The quiz I am using used this code as the final solution, I think it is wrong, any help appreciated. 

    # Define a procedure, greatest,
# that takes as input a list
# of positive numbers, and
# returns the greatest number
# in that list. If the input
# list is empty, the output
# should be 0.
def greatest(list_of_numbers):
    big = 0 
    for i in list_of_numbers: 
        if i > big: 
            big = i
        return big 

print greatest([4,23,1])
#>>> 23  I can't get 23 It returns 4 for some reason. 
print greatest([])
#>>> 0

    For some reason it gives me 4 instead of 23 as the greatest.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 207

Answers (1)

kylieCatt
kylieCatt

Reputation: 11049

You are returning on the first iteration. Move your return out one level:

def greatest(list_of_numbers):
    big = 0 
    for i in list_of_numbers: 
        if i > big: 
            big = i
    return big

However this is entirely unnecessary as Python has this built in:

def greatest(list_of_numbers):
    return max(list_of_numbers)

Upvotes: 3

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