Python min() function returns the smallest of the value or smallest item in an iterable passed as its parameter. There are two types of min function –
- min() functions with objects
- min() functions with an iterable
min() functions with objects
Unlike the min() function of C/C++, the min() function in Python can take any type of object and returns the smallest among them. In the case of strings, it returns the lexicographically smallest value.
Syntax: min(a, b, c, …, key=func)
Parameters:
a, b, c, .. : similar type of data.
key: A function to customize the sort order
Example:
Python3
# Python code to demonstrate the # working of min() # printing the minimum of # 4, 12, 43.3, 19, 100 print ( min ( 4 , 12 , 43.3 , 19 , 100 )) # printing the minimum of # a, b, c, d, e print ( min ( 'a' , 'b' , 'c' , 'd' , 'e' )) |
Output:
4 a
Customizing the sort order
To customize the sort order key parameter is passed in the min() function.
Example:
Python3
# Python code to demonstrate the # working of min() # find the string with minimum # length s = min ( "GfG" , "Geeks" , "GeeksWorld" , key = len ) print (s) |
Output:
GfG
Exception Raised
min() functions throw TypeError when conflicting data types are compared.
Example:
Python3
# Python code to demonstrate the # Exception of min() # printing the minimum of 4, 12, 43.3, 19, # "GeeksforGeeks" Throws Exception print ( min ( 4 , 12 , 43.3 , 19 , "GeeksforGeeks" )) |
Output:
TypeError: unorderable types: str() < int()
min() functions with an iterable
When an iterable is passed to the min function it returns the smallest item of the iterable.
Syntax: min(iterable, default = obj, key = func)
Parameters:
iterable: An iterable like list, tuple, string
default: Default value that is returned when the iterable is empty
key: A function to customize the sort order
Example:
Python3
# Python code to demonstrate the # working of min() # printing the minimum of [4, 12, 43.3, 19] print ( min ([ 4 , 12 , 43.3 , 19 ])) # printing the minimum of "GeeksforGeeks" print ( min ( "GeeksforGeeks" )) # printing the minimum of ("A", "b", "C") print ( min (( "A" , "a" , "C" ))) |
Output:
4 G A
Customizing the sort order
As seen above, to customize the sort order key parameter is passed in the min() function.
Example:
Python3
# Python code to demonstrate the # working of min() d = { 1 : "c" , 2 : "b" , 3 : "a" } # printing the minimum key of # dictionary print ( min (d)) # printing the key with minimum # value in dictionary print ( min (d, key = lambda k: d[k])) |
Output:
1 3
Exception Raised
ValueError is raised when an empty iterable is passed without the default argument
Example:
Python3
# Python code to demonstrate the # Exception of min() L = [] # printing the minimum empty list print ( min (L)) |
Output:
ValueError: min() arg is an empty sequence
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