# \min

Used for the minimum of a set or expression

https://texform.dev/latex/commands/min

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Topic | [Functions and operators](https://texform.dev/latex/topics/functions) |
| Packages | base |
| Allowed mode | math |
| Tags |  |
| Commonality | high |
| Kind | prefix |

## Syntax

### base

Argument specification: ``

Used for the minimum of a set or expression

## Common tasks

### How to write a minimum

```latex
\min(a,b)
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmin%28a%2Cb%29)

### How to write a minimum over an index

```latex
\min_{1\le i\le n} a_i
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmin_%7B1%5Cle+i%5Cle+n%7D+a_i)

### How to write a constrained minimum

```latex
\min_{x\ge 0} \|Ax-b\|
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmin_%7Bx%5Cge+0%7D+%5C%7CAx-b%5C%7C)

## Examples

```latex
\min
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmin)

```latex
\min(a, b)
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmin%28a%2C+b%29)

```latex
\min_{x \in X}
```

[Open in Playground](https://play.texform.dev/?input=%5Cmin_%7Bx+%5Cin+X%7D)

## Renderer support

| Package | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| base | full | full | full |

## Usage frequency

1.52% of formulas in the measured corpus contain this entry, rank 38 of 263 entries with frequency data.

## In TeXForm

TeXForm parses this entry as prefix syntax; the package determines its argument specification.

## Equivalent forms

```latex
\operatorname*{min}
```

exact. Using amsmath

## See also

- [\\det](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/det)
- [\\gcd](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/gcd)
- [\\inf](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/inf)
- [\\injlim](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/injlim)
- [\\lim](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/lim)
- [\\liminf](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/liminf)
- [\\limsup](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/limsup)
- [\\max](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/max)
- [\\Pr](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/Pr)
- [\\projlim](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/projlim)
- [\\sup](https://texform.dev/latex/commands/sup)

## Test cases

### base

| Input | Case | MathJax | KaTeX | XeTeX |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| \min | Positive: baseline | Pass | Pass | Pass |