PHP min() Function: Finding the Minimum Value

The min() function in PHP returns the smallest value among its arguments. When a single array is passed, it returns the minimum element of that array; with multiple arguments, it compares them and returns the smallest.

Parameters mixed $values – an array of values, or multiple comparable values ( $value1, $value2, ...).

Return value

Returns the lowest value among the provided arguments. If arrays are compared, they are considered larger than scalar values.

Examples

<?php
echo min(2,3,1,6,7); // 1
echo min(array(2,4,5)); // 2
echo min(0, 'hello'); // 0
echo min('hello', -1); // -1
$val = min(array(2,4,8), array(2,5,1));
?>

When mixing arrays and scalars, arrays are treated as larger, so the function returns the scalar minimum.