[tjalfi]

clang compiles all three of these functions to use max instructions (https://godbolt.org/z/9z7hGfdhq).

    #include <algorithm>
    
    using std::max;
    
    int max_array_func(int values[], size_t values_count)
    {
        int max_value = values[0];
        for (size_t j = 0; j < values_count; j++)
        {
            max_value = max(max_value, values[j]);
        }
        return max_value;
    }
    
    int max_array_bittwiddling(int values[], size_t values_count)
    {
        int max_value = values[0];
        for (size_t j = 0; j < values_count; j++)
        {
            int x = max_value;
            int y = values[j];
            // http://graphics.stanford.edu/~seander/bithacks.html#IntegerMinOrMax
            max_value = x ^ ((x ^ y) & -(x < y));
        }
        return max_value;
    }
    
    int max_array_branch(int values[], size_t values_count)
    {
        int max_value = values[0];
        for (size_t j = 0; j < values_count; j++)
        {
            if (max_value > values[j])
            {
                max_value = values[j];
            }
        }
        return max_value;
    }