fun maxList(L: string list) =
	if tl(L)=nil (* L is a single element *)
		then hd(L) (* the single element is the maximum *)
		else (* assume there are at least 2 elements *)
			if hd(L)>hd(tl(L)) (* the first element
					exceeds the second *)
				then maxList(hd(L)::tl(tl(L))) (* eliminate
						second element *)
				else maxList(tl(L)) (* eliminate first
						element *);