We thought we knew them, but we discovered some subtleties!
These functions are defined in the Enumerable module, which is included in Array as well as Hash, Range, Enumerator, Struct, …
The <=> method is used for comparison. Elements must be comparable, otherwise an exception is thrown. The comparison can be parameterized with a block. In this case, it is often convenient to use min_by / max_by.
These methods can be used with an argument to obtain the n smallest/largest elements. There’s even a minmax method!
⚠️ Beware of Range limitations.
Links to Ruby documentation for min, max, min_by, max_by, minmax et minmax_by.
