Through does not work with Subtract

Question

Through[(Max - Min)[#]] & @ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

gives

5 + (-Min)[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]

Of course I can work around by

(Max[#] - Min[#]) & @ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

to achieve the desired result

4

But I wonder why Through does not work with Subtract and if there is a direct way to use it.

---

Edit:

After reading the answers, I see the problem is actually from Times failing to play the role of an operator.

Subtract[Max, Min] // FullForm

gives

Plus[Max, Times[-1, Min]]

Here Times takes a number -1 and a function Min as arguments and is expected to return a function just like what an operator should do, which unfortunately is not the case.

To solve by doing the operator's job manually:

Composition[Times[-1, #] &, Min]

and for the example:

Through[Plus[Max, Composition[Times[-1, #] &, Min]][{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]]

Answer 1

As Kuba pointed out, the issue here is that Mathematica doesn't do subtraction. From the documentation on Subtract

x-y is converted to x+(-1*y) on input.

And Through only applies the operators at the top level. So

Through[(Max*Min)[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]]

and

Through[(Max + Min)[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]]

give 5 and 6, respectively, because their FullForm expressions are Times[Max,Min] and Plus[Max,Min].

Through[(Max - Min)[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]]

tries to apply Times[-1,Min] to the arguement, but it is not a function. So each element at the top level has to be a function. Simple enough to solve:

Through[(Max + (-Min@# &))[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]]

gives the expected answer of 4.

Answer 2

Another possibility

Subtract @@ Through[{Max, Min}[{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]]

4

Here Through returns {5, 1} and then Subtract finished the job

Answer 3

Since the problem has its origins in how Mathematica performs subtractions, just don't use it till the very end:

Through[s[Max, Min][{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}]] /. s -> Subtract
(* 4 *)

Answer 4

Using Comap (new in 14.0)

Subtract @@ Comap[{Max, Min}, Range[5]]

4

Using Query

Subtract @@ Query[{Max, Min}] @ Range[5]

4

Using MinMax (new in 10.1)

-Subtract @@ MinMax @ Range[5]

4

Using ReverseApplied (new in 12.1)

ReverseApplied[Subtract] @@ MinMax @ Range[5]

4