[python] Python find min max and average of a list (array)

I am having hard time to figure out how to find min from a list for example

somelist = [1,12,2,53,23,6,17]

how can I find min and max of this list with defining (def) a function

I do not want to use built-in function min

Only a teacher would ask you to do something silly like this. You could provide an expected answer. Or a unique solution, while the rest of the class will be (yawn) the same...

from operator import lt, gt
def ultimate (l,op,c=1,u=0):
    try:
        if op(l[c],l[u]): 
            u = c
        c += 1
        return ultimate(l,op,c,u)
    except IndexError:
        return l[u]
def minimum (l):
    return ultimate(l,lt)
def maximum (l):
    return ultimate(l,gt)

The solution is simple. Use this to set yourself apart from obvious choices.

Return min and max value in tuple:

def side_values(num_list):
    results_list = sorted(num_list)
    return results_list[0], results_list[-1]


somelist = side_values([1,12,2,53,23,6,17])
print(somelist)