[jcw@linux jcw]$ perl q.pl
Benchmark: running max_dkubb1, max_jcwren1, max_jcwren2, max_jcwren3, max_jcwren4, max_tilly, each for at least 3 CPU seconds...
max_jcwren1: 5 wallclock secs ( 2.95 usr +  0.05 sys =  3.00 CPU) @ 26010.00/s (n=78030)
max_jcwren2: 6 wallclock secs ( 3.23 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.23 CPU) @ 9057.59/s (n=29256)
max_jcwren3: 5 wallclock secs ( 3.00 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.00 CPU) @ 53767.33/s (n=161302)
max_jcwren4: 5 wallclock secs ( 3.01 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.01 CPU) @ 11827.24/s (n=35600)
max_dkubb1:  5 wallclock secs ( 3.00 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.00 CPU) @ 2165.67/s (n=6497)
max_tilly:   5 wallclock secs ( 3.00 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.00 CPU) @ 1711.33/s (n=5134)
[jcw@linux jcw]$ 

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/local/bin/perl -w

use Algorithm::Numerical::Shuffle qw(shuffle);
use Benchmark qw(timethese);

#Randomize the array contents
my @array = shuffle 0..1000;

timethese(-3, {
  max_jcwren1 => sub { max_jcwren1(@array) },
  max_jcwren2 => sub { max_jcwren2(@array) },
  max_jcwren3 => sub { maxarray1(@array)   },
  max_jcwren4 => sub { maxarray2(\@array)  },
  max_dkubb1  => sub { max_dkubb1(@array)  },
  max_tilly   => sub { max_tilly(@array)   },
});

use Inline C => <<'END_OF_C_CODE';

int maxarray1(SV* array1, ...)
{
   Inline_Stack_Vars;
   int max = 0;
   int i, j;
   
   for (i = 0; i < Inline_Stack_Items; i++)
      if ((j = (SvIV(Inline_Stack_Item(i)))) > max)
         max = j;
      
   return (max);
}

int maxarray2(SV* array_ref)
{
   AV* array;
   int num_items;
   int max = 0;
   int i, j;
   
   if (! SvROK(array_ref))
      croak("array_ref is not a reference");

   array = (AV*)SvRV(array_ref);
   num_items = av_len(array);   

   for (i = 0; i <= num_items; i++)
      if ((j = (SvIV(*av_fetch (array, i, 0)))) > max)
         max = j;

   return (max);
}

END_OF_C_CODE

sub max_jcwren1 {
  return maxarray1 (@_);
}

sub max_jcwren2 {
  return maxarray2 (\@_);
}

sub max_dkubb1 {
  my $max = shift;
  $max < $_ and $max = $_ for @_;
  return $max;
}

sub max_tilly {
  my $max = shift;
  $max = $max < $_ ? $_ : $max for @_;
  return $max;
}