So maybe I could do something like this:
for key in my_dictionary:
if my_dictionary[key] > max_value:
max_value = my_dictionary[key]
max_key = key
Let that finish iterating all the way, then make another loop.
for key in my_dictionary:
if my_dictionary[key] == max_value:
return max_key
So now at least itâs iterating through the entire dict. to get max_value so I can compare them in this next loop?
No loop needed after that. Just return the max_key. This assumes we have initialized max_value and max_key before the loop. Recall that when we set the initial value we didnât actually iterate, but took the first key/value and used that as a starting value for comparison.
Ok nice. So final code would look like this:
def max_key(my_dictionary):
for key in my_dictionary:
max_value = my_dictionary[key]
max_key = key
break
for key in my_dictionary:
if my_dictionary[key] > max_value:
max_value = my_dictionary[key]
max_key = key
return max_key
Iâm not sure if you could really call it collaborating, but it was nice figuring out an alternate solution with you!
Right on! It may look clunky but it works with a minimum of code patterns, and does not use any built-ins. This model of code may seldom be used in production but it is infinitely important in developing our thinking. Well done.
Hi Everyone, I would like to share with you the way that I chose to solve it. (I saw a lot of methods to solve it until I finished my own, you rock guys 
)
def max_key(my_dictionary):
max = 0
for key in my_dictionary.keys():
if my_dictionary[key] > max:
max = my_dictionary[key]
output = key
return output
# Uncomment these function calls to test your function:
print(max_key({1:100, 2:1, 3:4, 4:10}))
#print 1
print(max_key({"a":100, "b":10, "c":1000}))
#"c"
A sort of compilation of different approaches:
def max_key(my_dictionary):
maxK, maxV = list(my_dictionary.items())[0]
for k in my_dictionary:
if my_dictionary[k] > maxV:
maxV = my_dictionary[k]
maxK = k
return maxK
# for time efficiency, check https://stackoverflow.com/a/14624923
def max_key2(my_dictionary):
return list(my_dictionary.keys())[list(my_dictionary.values()).index(max(my_dictionary.values()))]
def max_key3(my_dictionary):
for k in my_dictionary:
if my_dictionary[k] == max(my_dictionary.values()):
return k
def max_key4(my_dictionary):
return max(my_dictionary, key=my_dictionary.get)
How could we compare the efficiency of each approach against a large dataset?
I saw something called profile.run() mentioned in this post from Stack Overflow, but could not really figure out the docs with my current knowledge/vocab nor could I implement it on my terminalâŚ
This is not my area but it never hurts to examine things and see what we spot. The first and last are both linear with a constant of 2 (for the two iterations) so O(2N). The second one looks to have a constant of 4 given there are four iterations, but still linear.
The third one would be the least efficient owing that it is quadratic (nested iteration). It could be cured by caching the max() before the loop. It never changes. Then it would be linear with a constant of 2.
Owing that we could very likely conclude that the source code for max() is highly optimized. The fourth one would be a best bet and itâs doubtful we as learners or even seasoned programmers will ever top that for this language. I suspect the source code is written in some flavor or C.
The thing I like about the first example is it is closest to a naive implementation It still uses built-ins, though. list() and dict.items(). The fully naive form will use only linear iteration.
>>> def max_key(d):
k, v = (None, float("-inf"))
for h in d:
if d[h] > v:
k, v = (h, d[h])
return k
>>> max_key({"a":100, "b":10, "c":1000})
'c'
>>>
The only difference is that it uses negative infinity as the minimum instead of a value from the dictionary.
def max_key(my_dictionary):
for key, value in my_dictionary.items():
if value == max(my_dictionary.values()):
return key
Not sure if it could fulfil all the conditions.
Here was my solution 
def max_key(my_dictionary):
i = -9999999
for value in my_dictionary.values():
if value > i:
i = value
for key, value in my_dictionary.items():
if value == i:
return key
Really cool to see some of these more concise answers! Iâm impressed.
Also - if anyone knows a shorter hand way to get a really low integer than literally typing out -9999999, let me know!
If you check through some of the previous answers youâll find some neat ways of achieving your goal. Perhaps a small integer isnât what you really need though, youâre just interested in finding the maximum form a set of values, why not start with one of them?
This was mine 
âŚ
def max_key(my_dictionary):
biggest_val = max(my_dictionary.values())
for key in my_dictionary.keys():
if my_dictionary[key] == biggest_val:
return key
Are you referring to the use of max() ? I did become aware of this through reading some of the solutions, but chose not to implement it. I really want to see the best that can be done with just the methods that have been taught on the course up until this point
I was actually referring to obtaining a decent starting value to test against. A few points above cover the use of float("-inf") for a negative number but others propose starting with a value from the dictionary which I think might be the better choice.
Working with what youâve learnt isnât a bad shout. Iâd hazard a guess the original intention was to solve this with a loop to practice working with loops and dictionaries. Worth knowing max for the future but practising the topics covered should probably be the priority.
Can anyone explain to me how âfloat(â-inf")" works?
Iâm doing the Data Science path, but I donât remember coming across this during one of the modules.
We rarely need to consider infinity in programming situations, but in calculus it is one of the common limits, as is negative infinity.
float('-inf')
represents the float value of the smallest number on the number line. There is no number less than it.
thanks! much appreciated.
largest_value = float('-inf')
largest_key = ''
def max_key(my_dictionary):
for k,v in my_dictionary.items():
if v>largest_value:
largest_value = v
largest_key = k
return largest_key`Preformatted text`
For the above code, I got the following error:
File âscript.pyâ, line 6, in max_key
if v>largest_value:
UnboundLocalError: local variable âlargest_valueâ referenced before assignment
I have declared the variables prior to the function. So, being global variables, shouldnât they be accessible within the function as well? or do I have to declare them locally, i.e. within the function? Why does the output say that the variables havenât been declared?
Globals can be accessed for read, but not for write, hence the UnboundLocalError. Suggest move both of those variables to just inside the function, above the loop.
By read and not write, do you mean that the globals can be used as parameters within a function, but you canât make any changes to them?