Min
Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (3)Summary of the most common use cases
Scope (29)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
Numerical Evaluation (7)

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-fc4btq


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-b0wt9

The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-y7k4a

Evaluate efficiently at high precision:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-di5gcr


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-bq2c6r

The minimum of all elements of a matrix:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-5uzpgh

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-0jaqa2


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-0p6lb9


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-xc4dpt

For Interval objects, Min gives the minimum element in all intervals:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-ba8ore

For CenteredInterval objects, Min[Δ1,Δ2] gives an interval containing Min[a1,a2] for any ai∈Δi:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-k7pzcv

Compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-cw18bq

Compute the elementwise values of an array using automatic threading:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-thgd2

Or compute the matrix Min function using MatrixFunction:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-o5jpo

Specific Values (5)
Values of Min at fixed points:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-3e6pic


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-4ular1


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-dgo9dv


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-ia2x93

Solve equations and inequalities:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-u0b1u

Find a value of x for which Min[{Sin[x],Cos[x]}]1/2:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-f2hrld


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-epxoeu

Visualization (3)
Function Properties (9)
Min is only defined for real-valued inputs:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-cl7ele


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-t9gco1

The range of Min is all real numbers:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-evf2yr

Min effectively flattens out all lists:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-bxnsjp

Basic symbolic simplification is done automatically:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-iui8mf

Additional simplification can be done using Simplify:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-bgudrp

Multi-argument Min is generally not an analytic function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-xti3gz

It will have singularities where the arguments cross, but it will be continuous:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-po9d3l


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-hr28pt

Min can have any monotonicity depending on its arguments:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-2es8q4


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-58kwti


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-t9oqs2


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-cxk3a6


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-frlnsr

Min can have any sign depending on its arguments:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-wzg4gh


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-yt0aza


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-cttbfh

Differentiation and Integration (5)
First derivative with respect to x:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-krpoah

Higher derivatives with respect to x:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-z33jv

Formula for the derivative with respect to x:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-cb5zgj

Compute the indefinite integral using Integrate:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-bponid


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-op9yly


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-bfdh5d


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-b44r84


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-f6rkc

Applications (4)Sample problems that can be solved with this function
Use in bounds of iterator variables:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-jtxq7o


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-cczjuy

Find the lowest point of a plotted curve:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-fjavik


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-dlzycu

Mean of the length ratio of a randomly broken stick:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-joger7

R‐function-based solid modeling:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-gpa5pi

Properties & Relations (6)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
With no arguments, Min returns Infinity:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-ialmwo


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-h8jf67

Use PiecewiseExpand to express Min and Max as explicit cases:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-l0t8a

Use FullSimplify to simplify Min expressions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-e55os6


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-kh9c01

Minimize a function containing Min:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-fp0qtl

Min can be differentiated:

https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-g2qoxo


https://wolfram.com/xid/02cbq-i0s59e

Possible Issues (2)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior
Neat Examples (2)Surprising or curious use cases
Wolfram Research (1988), Min, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html (updated 2021).
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), Min, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html (updated 2021).
Wolfram Research (1988), Min, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html (updated 2021).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Min." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html.
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Min." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). Min. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html
Wolfram Language. (1988). Min. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_min, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Min}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html}", note=[Accessed: 26-March-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_min, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Min}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Min.html}, note=[Accessed: 26-March-2025
]}