diff --git a/benches/numeric.rs b/benches/numeric.rs
index db0252c8a..493e79958 100644
--- a/benches/numeric.rs
+++ b/benches/numeric.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use test::Bencher;
 
 extern crate ndarray;
 use ndarray::prelude::*;
+use ndarray::{Zip, FoldWhile};
 
 const N: usize = 1024;
 const X: usize = 64;
@@ -25,3 +26,52 @@ fn clip(bench: &mut Bencher)
         })
     });
 }
+
+#[bench]
+fn max_early_return(bench: &mut Bencher)
+{
+    fn max(arr: &Array2<f64>) -> Option<&f64>
+    {
+        if let Some(mut max) = arr.first() {
+            if let Some(slc) = arr.as_slice_memory_order() {
+                for item in slc.iter().skip(1) {
+                    match max.partial_cmp(item) {
+                        None => return None,
+                        Some(::std::cmp::Ordering::Less) => max = item,
+                        _ => {},
+                    }
+                }
+                Some(max)
+            } else {
+                Zip::from(arr).fold_while(Some(max), |acc, x| 
+                match acc.partial_cmp(&Some(x)) {
+                    None => FoldWhile::Done(None),
+                    Some(::std::cmp::Ordering::Less) => FoldWhile::Continue(Some(x)),
+                    _ => FoldWhile::Continue(acc),
+                }).into_inner()
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }  
+    let mut a = Array::linspace(0., 127., N * 2).into_shape([X, Y * 2]).unwrap();
+    bench.iter(|| max(&a));
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn max_short(bench: &mut Bencher) {
+    fn max(arr: &Array2<f64>) -> Option<&f64> {
+        if let Some(first) = arr.first() {
+            let max = arr.fold(first, |acc, x| if x>acc {x} else {acc});
+            if max == max {
+                Some(max)
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+    let mut a = Array::linspace(0., 127., N * 2).into_shape([X, Y * 2]).unwrap();
+    bench.iter(|| max(&a));
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/numeric/impl_numeric.rs b/src/numeric/impl_numeric.rs
index 9e229b46a..43ee6010c 100644
--- a/src/numeric/impl_numeric.rs
+++ b/src/numeric/impl_numeric.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,149 @@ impl<A, S, D> ArrayBase<S, D>
         sum
     }
 
+    /// Return a reference to a maximum of all values.
+    /// Return None if a comparison fails or if self is empty.
+    /// 
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// use ndarray::{arr2, Array2};
+    /// use std::f64;
+    /// 
+    /// let a = arr2(&[[1., 2.], [3., 4.]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(a.max(), Some(&4.));
+    /// 
+    /// let b = arr2(&[[1., f64::NAN], [3., 4.]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(b.max(), None);
+    /// 
+    /// let c = arr2(&[[f64::NAN]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(c.max(), None);
+    /// 
+    /// let d: Array2<f64> = arr2(&[[]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(d.max(), None);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn max(&self) -> Option<&A>
+    where A: PartialOrd
+    {
+        if let Some(first) = self.first() {
+            let max = self.fold(first, |acc, x| if acc == acc && !(x < acc) {x} else {acc});
+            if max == max {
+                Some(max)
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+
+    }  
+
+    /// Return a reference to a maximum of all values, ignoring
+    /// incomparable elements. Returns None if `self` is empty,
+    /// or contains only incomparable elements.
+    /// 
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// use ndarray::{arr2, Array2};
+    /// use std::f64;
+    /// 
+    /// let a = arr2(&[[1., 2.], [3., 4.]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(a.nanmax(), Some(&4.));
+    /// 
+    /// let b = arr2(&[[1., f64::NAN], [3., f64::NAN]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(b.nanmax(), Some(&3.));
+    /// 
+    /// let c: Array2<f64> = arr2(&[[]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(c.nanmax(), None);
+    /// 
+    /// let d = arr2(&[[f64::NAN, f64::NAN],[f64::NAN, f64::NAN]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(d.nanmax(), None);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn nanmax(&self) -> Option<&A> 
+    where A: PartialOrd,
+    {
+        if let Some(first) = self.first() {
+            let max = self.fold(first, |acc, x| if acc == acc && !(x > acc) {acc} else {x});
+            if max == max {
+                Some(max)
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Return a reference to a minimum of all values.
+    /// Return None if a comparison fails or if self is empty.
+    /// 
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// use ndarray::{arr2, Array2};
+    /// use std::f64;
+    /// 
+    /// let a = arr2(&[[1., 2.], [3., 4.]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(a.min(), Some(&1.));
+    /// 
+    /// let b = arr2(&[[1., f64::NAN], [3., 4.]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(b.min(), None);
+    /// 
+    /// let c = arr2(&[[f64::NAN]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(c.min(), None);
+    /// 
+    /// let d: Array2<f64> = arr2(&[[]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(d.min(), None);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn min(&self) -> Option<&A>
+    where A: PartialOrd
+    {
+        if let Some(first) = self.first() {
+            let min = self.fold(first, |acc, x| if acc == acc && !(acc < x) {x} else {acc});
+            if min == min {
+                Some(min)
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }  
+
+    /// Return a reference to a minimum of all values, ignoring
+    /// incomparable elements. Returns None if `self` is empty,
+    /// or contains only incomparable elements.
+    /// 
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// use ndarray::{arr2, Array2};
+    /// use std::f64;
+    /// 
+    /// let a = arr2(&[[1., 2.], [3., 4.]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(a.nanmin(), Some(&1.));
+    /// 
+    /// let b = arr2(&[[f64::NAN, 2.], [3., f64::NAN]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(b.nanmin(), Some(&2.));
+    /// 
+    /// let c: Array2<f64> = arr2(&[[]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(c.nanmin(), None);
+    /// 
+    /// let d = arr2(&[[f64::NAN, f64::NAN],[f64::NAN, f64::NAN]]);
+    /// assert_eq!(d.nanmin(), None);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn nanmin(&self) -> Option<&A> 
+    where A: PartialOrd,
+    {
+        if let Some(first) = self.first() {
+            let min = self.fold(first, |acc, x| if acc == acc && !(x < acc) {acc} else {x});
+            if min == min {
+                Some(min)
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Return sum along `axis`.
     ///
     /// ```