Generic algorithms

Implement a single function that takes two arguments and returns the bigger of the two. Assume you don't know the type of the  arguments and you don't know if the types can be compared. Assume that if a type can be compared, it will always be implemented by following a single standard. Use the latest standard of your language. Write the simplest program
that will pass an integer 1(one) and a float 1.1(one point one) into the function and write the result to standard output.

Post the compiler you used, the code and the result.
Write what will happen if the max function is called with broken syntax (I'm looking at you C macros).
Write what will happen if the objects of a type can't be compared.

I'll start with C and C++.
Compiler: gcc 4.3.2 20081105 (Red Hat 4.3.2-7)
#include <iostream>
template<class F>
F& max(F& a, F& b) { return (a < b) ? b : a; }
int main() { std::cout << max(1, 1.1) << '\n'; }
Results: Compile time error:
max.cpp: In function ‘int main()’:
max.cpp:6: error: no matching function for call to ‘max(int, double)’
Bad syntax: Standard compile-time error
No comparison: Standard compile-time error about undefined operator<

#define max(a, b) (less(a, b) ? b : a)
#include <stdio.h>
int less(int a, int b) { return a < b; }
int main() { printf("%f\n", max(1, 1.1)); }
Result: Bad output
1.000000
Bad syntax: Depends on the error in the syntax. Can either compile and cause undefined behaviour or fail at compile time with strange syntax errors.
No comparison: Standard compile-time error about an undefined function.


T_INT = 0
T_FLOAT = 1
struct val {
    .type rb 1
    .value rq 1
}
section .data

inty: val T_INT, 1
floaty: val T_FLOAT, 1.1
printy: db "%d", 10, 0

section .text
max:
    cmp T_INT, byte [rdi]
    je .int
.float:
    cmp T_FLOAT, byte [rsi]
    je .floats
    push rdi
    mov rsi, rdi
    call convertToFloat
    pop rdi
.floats:
    jmp maxOfFloats
.int:
    cmp T_INT, byte [rsi]
    je .ints
    call convertToFloat
    jmp .float
.ints:
    jmp maxOfInts

main:
    mov rdi, inty
    mov rsi, floaty
    xor rax, rax
    call max
    mov rsi, rax
    mov rdi, printy
    xor rax, rax
    call printf
    xor rax, rax
    ret

The maxOfFloats, maxOfInts, convertToFloat, and customized printf function is left as an exercise to the reader.

prints: 1.1
broken syntax: You get laughed at.
no comparison: They are compared as floats.