def max_min_col_update(self):
        """
        Determines the maximum and minimum number in each column.

        The result is a list whose k-th entry is [vmax, vmin], where vmax and
        vmin denote the maximum and minimum of the k-th column (ignoring NaN). 
        This list is stored in self.max_min_col.

        If the k-th column has a non-numerical dtype, then the k-th entry
        is set to None. If the dtype is complex, then compute the maximum and
        minimum of the absolute values. If vmax equals vmin, then vmin is 
        decreased by one.
        """
        if self.df.shape[0] == 0: # If no rows to compute max/min then return
            return
        self.max_min_col = []
        for dummy, col in self.df.iteritems():
            if col.dtype in REAL_NUMBER_TYPES + COMPLEX_NUMBER_TYPES:
                if col.dtype in REAL_NUMBER_TYPES:
                    vmax = col.max(skipna=True)
                    vmin = col.min(skipna=True)
                else:
                    vmax = col.abs().max(skipna=True)
                    vmin = col.abs().min(skipna=True)
                if vmax != vmin:
                    max_min = [vmax, vmin]
                else:
                    max_min = [vmax, vmin - 1]
            else:
                max_min = None
            self.max_min_col.append(max_min)
Determines the maximum and minimum number in each column.

        The result is a list whose k-th entry is [vmax, vmin], where vmax and
        vmin denote the maximum and minimum of the k-th column (ignoring NaN). 
        This list is stored in self.max_min_col.

        If the k-th column has a non-numerical dtype, then the k-th entry
        is set to None. If the dtype is complex, then compute the maximum and
        minimum of the absolute values. If vmax equals vmin, then vmin is 
        decreased by one.