Excel functions / Maths & statistics
MIN & MAX
Return the smallest and largest numbers in a range.
Syntax
=MIN(number1, [number2], ...)
=MAX(number1, [number2], ...)Arguments
number1, number2, ... | The cells or ranges to check. |
|---|
How it works
MAX returns the largest number and MIN the smallest. Use them for the highest sale, the lowest price, or the earliest and latest dates in a list.
They can also set limits. =MIN(C2,500) caps a value at 500, and =MAX(C2,0) stops it going below zero.
Example
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Region | Rep | Sales | ||
| 2 | East | Ana | 500 | 450 | |
| 3 | West | Ben | 300 | ||
| 4 | East | Cal | 250 | ||
| 5 | West | Dee | 700 | ||
| 6 |
Result: 450. The gap between the best and worst sales: 700 - 250.
Tips
- MAXIFS and MINIFS find the largest or smallest value that meets a condition.
Practise MIN & MAX
Try it yourself in a real spreadsheet, with instant feedback on every answer.