why calling apply on Math.max works and without it doens't
javascript
Solution
As you can read here about Function.prototype.apply, `apply` Calls a function with a given `this` value and arguments provided as an `array`. So the second parameter for the `apply` function accepts `arrays`, that's why it works.
While Math.max() itself expects any number of parameters NOT an array of them:
Math.max(66,3,8,213,965,1,453) //will work
Math.max([66,3,8,213,965,1,453]) //will not work
Usually you will be using `apply` for calling functions with dynamic parameters (e.g. user generated) that you don't know the number of parameters. On the other hand if you have a fixed number of parameters then you can easily provide them to `Math.max()` function.
Problem
If you asked me to get the max of an array, I would just do: ``` var nums = [66,3,8,213,965,1,453]; Math.max.apply(Math, nums); ``` of course, I could also do: nums.sort(function(a, b){ return a - b}.pop(nums.length); but I have to be honest. I need to know WHY that works - using .apply(Math,nums). If I just did this: ``` Math.max(nums); ``` that would not work. by using apply, I pass in Math as this - and nums for the array. But I want to know the intricacies of "why" that the first works and the latter doesn't. What magic is happening? There is something fundamental I am not wrapping my brains around. I have read a bunch about "call and apply", but many times some cool tricks can be had like the one above, and I feel I am missing something deeper here.