Crucial aspects of the initial mass function - I. The statistical correlation between the total mass of an ensemble of stars and its most massive starM. Cerviño, C. Román-Zúñiga, V. Luridiana, A. Bayo, N. Sánchez and E. PérezA&A, 553 (2013) A31DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201219504