maximum value in a column of file

[maurizio]

which is the best way for the calculation of the maximum value in a
column of a file?

 

[Chris]

 which is the best way for the calculation of the maximum value in a
    column of a file?

oddly enough
Help on built-in function max in module __builtin__:

max(...)
max(iterable[, key=func]) -> value
max(a, b, c, ...[, key=func]) -> value

With a single iterable argument, return its largest item.
With two or more arguments, return the largest argument.