Recursive function with elements ignored

everyone!

I have a following task: "Write a recursive function that uses a list as an argument and returns the maximum value. Non-integer elements are to be ignored!"

I have written the following code:

def recursion(listOne):
              
    if(len(listOne) == 1):
        return listOne[0]
    
    else:
        maximum = recursion(listOne[1:])
        if(isinstance(listOne[0], int)) or (isinstance(listOne[0], float)):
            if(maximum > listOne[0]):
                return maximum
            else:
                return listOne[0]
        else:
            return listOne[0]
    
listOne = ["apple", 7, 10, (5, 4)]
    
x = recursion(listOne)
print("Max number in the list is: ", x)

It works for a list containing numbers only; the output says:" Max number in the list is: apple".

I would appreciate if someone were to help me with solving this :)

P.S. I am new at python and come from a C/C background, so please understand my lack of python-specific knowledge.

CodePudding user response：

That's one way to fit the requirements of your task:

def recursion(lst, maxi=float("-inf")):
    if len(lst) == 1:
        return lst[0] if isinstance(lst[0], int) and lst[0] > maxi else maxi

    if isinstance(lst[0], int):
        maxi = maxi if maxi > lst[0] else lst[0]

    return recursion(lst[1:], maxi)


list_one = ["apple", 7, 10, (5, 4)]

res = recursion(list_one)
print("Max number in the list is: ", res)