Which function returns the maximum value in a column?

Which function returns the maximum value in a column?

• A. min
• B. max
• C. sum
• D. avg

Answer: (B)

To find the largest value in a column, the function used is the one that returns the maximum. It looks at all the values in that column, ignores missing or non-numeric entries as appropriate for the context, and reports the greatest one found. This is exactly what you need when you want the peak value. The other functions perform different calculations: the one that finds the smallest value, the one that sums all values, and the one that averages them. In SQL, for example, MAX ignores NULLs and yields NULL only if all inputs are NULL, which aligns with the idea of returning the maximum value present.

To find the largest value in a column, the function used is the one that returns the maximum. It looks at all the values in that column, ignores missing or non-numeric entries as appropriate for the context, and reports the greatest one found. This is exactly what you need when you want the peak value. The other functions perform different calculations: the one that finds the smallest value, the one that sums all values, and the one that averages them. In SQL, for example, MAX ignores NULLs and yields NULL only if all inputs are NULL, which aligns with the idea of returning the maximum value present.