Estoy probando el siguiente código

df = pd.DataFrame([[23, 52], [36, 49], [52, 61], [75, 82], [97, 12]], columns=['A', 'B'])
df['C'] = np.where(df['A'] > df['C'].shift(), df['A'], df['C'].shift())
print(df)

La suposición es que primerodf['C].shift() la operación debe asumir como 0 (ya quedf['C'] es inexistente)

Rendimiento esperado

    A   B   C
0  23  52  23
1  36  49  36
2  12  61  36
3  75  82  75
4  70  12  75

pero obtengo una excepción KeyError.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Program Files\Python36\lib\site-packages\pandas\core\indexes\base.py", line 2442, in get_loc
    return self._engine.get_loc(key)
  File "pandas\_libs\index.pyx", line 132, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas\_libs\index.c:5280)
  File "pandas\_libs\index.pyx", line 154, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas\_libs\index.c:5126)
  File "pandas\_libs\hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1210, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas\_libs\hashtable.c:20523)
  File "pandas\_libs\hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1218, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas\_libs\hashtable.c:20477)
KeyError: 'C'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\Development\workspace\TestPython\TestPython.py", line 6, in <module>
    df['C'] = np.where(df['A'] > df['C'].shift(), df['B'].shift(), df['A'])
  File "C:\Program Files\Python36\lib\site-packages\pandas\core\frame.py", line 1964, in __getitem__
    return self._getitem_column(key)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python36\lib\site-packages\pandas\core\frame.py", line 1971, in _getitem_column
    return self._get_item_cache(key)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python36\lib\site-packages\pandas\core\generic.py", line 1645, in _get_item_cache
    values = self._data.get(item)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python36\lib\site-packages\pandas\core\internals.py", line 3590, in get
    loc = self.items.get_loc(item)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python36\lib\site-packages\pandas\core\indexes\base.py", line 2444, in get_loc
    return self._engine.get_loc(self._maybe_cast_indexer(key))
  File "pandas\_libs\index.pyx", line 132, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas\_libs\index.c:5280)
  File "pandas\_libs\index.pyx", line 154, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas\_libs\index.c:5126)
  File "pandas\_libs\hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1210, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas\_libs\hashtable.c:20523)
  File "pandas\_libs\hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1218, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas\_libs\hashtable.c:20477)
KeyError: 'C'

Según tengo entendido, esto está sucediendo, porque por primera vez la Columna C no existe, por lo que cambiar la columna arroja esta excepción.

Mis preguntas, ¿hay alguna forma alternativa de resolver este problema?