PrecisionCalc
xl
Precision
Get Your Numbers Right

 

xlpMIN

Returns the smallest number in a set of numbers, with up to 32,767 significant digits of precision. Same as Excel's built-in MIN function, but with high precision.

Syntax

xlpMIN(numlist...,,format)

numlist... Required. The list of numbers and/or cell ranges for which to find the smallest. Accepts up to 29 numlist arguments, or up to 28 if the optional format argument is used. Ignores text that can't be evaluated to a number. Ignores blank cells.
format Optional. Determines formatting options (formatting negatives with parentheses instead of a leading hyphen, adding thousands separators, adding currency symbol, and formatting in exponential notation).

Any argument that begins with the text "format:" (must include the colon at the end) is evaluated as a format argument.

Each of the three format options can be used individually in separate arguments, or any number of them can be combined in the same argument.

When combining multiple format options into one format argument:

  • The text "format:" need only appear at the beginning.
  • The text "negative", thousands", "currency", and/or "exponent" can appear anywhere after the text "format:".
  • See below for examples of valid and invalid combination format values.

Must be enclosed in double quotes ("") if included directly in an xlpMAX argument. Double quotes are not necessary if the format argument references a cell in which the format argument is entered.

May be included anywhere in the series of xlpMAX arguments -- can be the first argument, or the last, or anywhere in-between.

The format argument is not case sensitive.

format value

Result
format:negative If return value is negative, it is formatted with parentheses ("()") instead of the default leading hyphen ("-").

You can also format negatives with a red font.

format:thousands Return value is formatted with thousands separators (commas in English).
format:currency Return value is formatted with the local currency symbol. The currency symbol will be added either to the beginning or to the end of the result, whichever is appropriate for the locale.
format:exponent Return value is formatted in exponential notation.

Examples of valid combination format values

format:negative,thousands,currency
(recognizes negative, thousands, and currency)
format:  negative - thousands - currency  blah blah this extra text is ignored
(recognizes negative, thousands, and currency)
format:negativethousandscurrency
(recognizes negative, thousands, and currency)
FORMAT:NEGATIVE,THOUSANDS,CURRENCY
(recognizes negative, thousands, and currency)
Format:Negative,Thousands,cUrReNcY
(recognizes negative, thousands, and currency)
format:thousands,negative,currency
(recognizes thousands, negative, and currency)
format:thousands  blah blah this extra text is ignored  negative
(recognizes thousands and negative)
format:currency,thousands
(recognizes currency and thousands)
Examples of invalid combination format values
format negative,thousands,currency
(missing colon (:) after "format")
format = negative,thousands,currency
(missing colon (:) after "format")
Example of partially valid combination format value
format:negative,thousand,currency
(recognizes negative and currency, BUT "thousands" is misspelled as "thousand")

Remarks

Examples

Formula Description Result
=xlpMIN(1,2) Smallest of 1 and 2 1
=xlpMIN(-1,-2) Smallest of -1 and -2 -2
=xlpMIN(A1:B2,5,6,7)
 
  A B
1 1 3
2 2 4
Smallest of values in cells A1:B2, and the values 5, 6, and 7 1
=xlpMIN(A1:C3,"format:negative,thousands,currency")
 
  A B C
1 -10,000 abc -70,000
2 -20,000 -50,000  
3 -30,000 -60,000 -90,000
Smallest of values in cells A1:C3, ignoring text in cell B1 and ignoring blank cell (C2), and formatting with parentheses for negatives, with thousands separators, and with local currency symbol ($90,000)
=xlpMIN(A1:C3,format:negative,thousands,currency)
 
  A B C
1 -10,000 abc -70,000
2 -20,000 -50,000  
3 -30,000 -60,000 -90,000
Smallest of values in cells A1:C3, ignoring text in cell B1 and ignoring blank cell (C2), and with double quotes missing from around formatting argument -90000

 

=xlpMIN(A1:C3,A4)
 
  A B C
1 -10,000 abc -70,000
2 -20,000 -50,000  
3 -30,000 -60,000 -90,000
4

 format:negative,thousands,currency

Smallest of values in cells A1:C3 and A4, ignoring text in cell B1 and ignoring blank cell (C2), and formatting with parentheses for negatives, with thousands separators, and with local currency symbol ($90,000)
=xlpMIN(A1:C3,A4)
 
  A B C
1 -10,000 abc -70,000
2 -20,000 -50,000  
3 -30,000 -60,000 -90,000
4

 format:exponent

Smallest of values in cells A1:C3 and A4, ignoring text in cell B1 and ignoring blank cell (C2), and formatting in exponential notation -9.0E+4
=xlpMIN(A1:C3,"format:currency",A4:A6,-500000,-200000,-300000)
 
  A B C
1 -10,000 abc -70,000
2 -20,000 -50,000  
3 -30,000 -60,000 -90,000
5

 format:negative

 
6

 format:thousands

 
Smallest of values in cells A1:C3 and A4:A6, and of the values -500000, -200000, and -300000, ignoring text in cell B1 and ignoring blank cell (C2), and formatting with parentheses for negatives, with thousands separators, and with local currency symbol ($500,000)

See Also

xlpMAX
xlpSMALL