# max > Return the maximum value.
## Usage ```javascript var max = require( '@stdlib/math/base/special/max' ); ``` #### max( \[x\[, y\[, ...args]]] ) Returns the maximum value. ```javascript var v = max( 4.2, 3.14 ); // returns 4.2 v = max( +0.0, -0.0 ); // returns +0.0 v = max( 4.2, 3.14, -1.0, 6.8 ); // returns 6.8 ``` If any argument is `NaN`, the function returns `NaN`. ```javascript var v = max( 4.2, NaN ); // returns NaN v = max( NaN, 3.14 ); // returns NaN ``` If not provided any arguments, the function returns `-infinity`. ```javascript var v = max(); // returns -Infinity ```
## Notes - When an empty set is considered a subset of the extended reals (all real numbers, including positive and negative infinity), negative infinity is the least upper bound. Similar to zero being the identity element for the sum of an empty set and to one being the identity element for the product of an empty set, negative infinity is the identity element for the maximum, and thus, `max() = -infinity`.
## Examples ```javascript var minstd = require( '@stdlib/random/base/minstd-shuffle' ); var max = require( '@stdlib/math/base/special/max' ); var x; var y; var v; var i; for ( i = 0; i < 100; i++ ) { x = minstd(); y = minstd(); v = max( x, y ); console.log( 'max(%d,%d) = %d', x, y, v ); } ```