Which function returns the total sum of the values in a list?

The function that returns the total sum of the values in a list is the sum() function. In Python, sum() is a built-in function specifically designed to calculate the sum of all the elements contained within an iterable, such as a list. By passing a list of numerical values to this function, it processes each value and provides the total.

For example, if you have a list like [1, 2, 3, 4], using sum([1, 2, 3, 4]) would return 10, as it adds up all the numbers in the list. The sum() function is efficient and straightforward for this purpose, making it a commonly used tool in Python programming for summing collections of numbers.

In contrast, other functions listed do not serve this purpose: append() is used to add an item to the end of a list, pop() removes and returns an item from within a list based on its index, and min() finds the smallest value in an iterable. Thus, sum() stands out as the correct choice for calculating the total of list values.