# Confused about simple max{,} notation

by dtessela
Tags: compton, max, notation, rayleigh, scattering
 P: 2 I'm working on a project that required me to go through the literature to find some information on Compton and Rayleigh scattering. I came across a key expression, part of it which read: max{ f(x,Z), g(x,Z) } if Z > 10 and f(x,Z) < 2 where f(x,Z) and g(x,Z) are known functions. The problem is I don't understand the max{f(x,Z),g(x,Z)} notation. I have done some poking around on the interwebs but nothing really helpful has come up. Thanks for future help! D
Mentor
P: 21,286
 Quote by dtessela I'm working on a project that required me to go through the literature to find some information on Compton and Rayleigh scattering. I came across a key expression, part of it which read: max{ f(x,Z), g(x,Z) } if Z > 10 and f(x,Z) < 2 where f(x,Z) and g(x,Z) are known functions. The problem is I don't understand the max{f(x,Z),g(x,Z)} notation. I have done some poking around on the interwebs but nothing really helpful has come up. Thanks for future help! D
It's the largest value of f and g, where Z > 10 and f(x, Z) < 2.
 P: 443 Here are some examples for you: max{10, 3} = 10 max{-1, -100} = -1 if x = 30*3 and y = 40! and z = 40^2 then max{x, y, z} = y if f(x) = 2x + 10 and g(x) = x^3 then when x = 1 max{f(x), g(x)} = f(x)
 Math Emeritus Sci Advisor Thanks PF Gold P: 39,552 Confused about simple max{,} notation Notice that max{a, b} applied to numbers a and b. max{f(x), g(x)} is actually a function, h(x), that, to each value of x, gives the larger of the two numbers f(x) and g(x) for that particular x.
P: 2
 Quote by HallsofIvy Notice that max{a, b} applied to numbers a and b. max{f(x), g(x)} is actually a function, h(x), that, to each value of x, gives the larger of the two numbers f(x) and g(x) for that particular x.
Thanks, that helped clear it up!

 Related Discussions Calculus 0 Calculus 4 Calculus & Beyond Homework 1 Calculus & Beyond Homework 2 Quantum Physics 4