Do Math.max and Math.min change the value they are applied to?

Question

I've been reading some code that one of my lecturers set and he has written something like "Let us set a maximum and minimum for a value."

Then he writes (and I'm paraphrasing values here)

int x = 5;
x = Math.min(x, 0);
x = Math.max(x, 10);

Then he carries on with his code as if x is still equal to 5 whereas when I run this code through my computer the max and min functions always change the value of x to 0 and then 10.

Does this sound like a mistake on his part? Should he have reverted x before carrying on? Or does this function work in some other way depending on circumstances that it does actually set a maximum and minimum value without changing the original variable?

Answer 1

You are right; he probably meant this:

int x = 5;
x = Math.max(x, 0);
x = Math.min(x, 10);

which keeps x between 0 and 10.

Answer 2

It is a mistake on his part. When you assign a variable with = it sets it to that value.

Answer 3

Yes. It is a mistake on his part.