Unexpectedly, it is

max_list(List,Max)

on one hand but

max_member(Max,List)`

on the other hand: the arguments are reversed!

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This predicate throws if you have a non-numeric list, though it tries to resolve atoms to 0-arity functions according to the error message:

?- max_list([1,w,3],_).
ERROR: Arithmetic: `w/0' is not a function

Doesn't like variables either. Logically, the result from the goal below would be another goal: max_list([3,X],V).

?- max_list([1,X,3],V).
ERROR: Arguments are not sufficiently instantiated

It fails if you give an evidently non-number as Max, keeping things logical:

?- max_list([1,2,3,4],foo).
false.

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But you can have arithmetic expressions:

?- max_list([0.5,pi],X).
X = 3.141592653589793.

?- max_list([0.5,pi()],X).
X = 3.141592653589793.

?- max_list([0.5,-pi()],X).
X = 0.5.

?- max_list([0.5,random_float],X).
X = 0.8933638922317843.

?- max_list([-0.5,-random_float],X).
X = -0.5.

?- max_list([-0.5,-random_float],X).
X = -0.24764710044780866.

?- max_list([0.5,2*sqrt(8)],X).
X = 5.656854249492381.