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min -- the minimum of numbers

Introduction

min(x1, x2, ...) returns the minimum of the numbers x1,x2,....

Call(s)

min(x1, x2, ...)

Parameters

x1, x2, ... - arbitrary MuPAD objects

Returns

one of the arguments, or a symbolic min call.

Overloadable:

x1, x2, , ...

Related Functions

_leequal, _less, min, sysorder

Details

Example 1

min computes the minimum of integers, rational numbers, and floating point values:

>> min(-3/2, 7, 1.4)
                                   -3/2

If the argument list contains symbolic expressions, then a symbolic min call is returned:

>> delete b: min(-4, b + 2, 1, 3)
                              min(b + 2, -4)
>> min(sqrt(2), 1)
                                    1/2
                               min(2   , 1)

Use simplify to simplify min expressions with constant symbolic arguments:

>> simplify(%)
                                     1

Example 2

min with one argument returns the evaluated argument:

>> delete a: min(a), min(sin(2*PI)), min(2)
                                  a, 0, 2

Complex numbers lead to an error message:

>> min(0, 1, I)
      Error: Illegal argument [min]

Example 3

-infinity is always the minimum of arbitrary arguments:

>> delete x: min(-100000000000, -infinity, x)
                                 -infinity

infinity is removed from the argument list:

>> min(-100000000000, infinity, x)
                           min(x, -100000000000)

Example 4

min does not take into account properties of identifiers set via assume:

>> delete a, b, c:
   assume(a > 0): assume(b > a, _and): assume(c > b, _and):
   min(a, min(b, c), 0)
                              min(a, b, c, 0)

An application of simplify yields the desired result:

>> simplify(%)
                                     0

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