Purpose
Return value
Syntax
=MINA(value1,[value2],...)- value1 - Number, reference to numeric value, or range that contains numeric values.
- value2 - [optional] Number, reference to numeric value, or range that contains numeric values.
How to use
The MINA function returns the smallest numeric value in a range of values. Like the MIN function, MINA ignores empty cells. However, unlike the MIN function, MINA evaluates the logical values TRUE and FALSE as 1 and 0, and evaluates text as zero when these values appear in a range or cell reference.
The MINA function takes multiple arguments in the form number1, number2, number3, etc. up to 255 total. Arguments can be a hardcoded constant, a cell reference, or a range, in any combination.
Examples
Like the MIN function, the MINA function returns the smallest number in the supplied data:
=MIN(12,17,25,11,23) // returns 11
=MINA(12,17,25,11,23) // returns 11
MINA can be used with constants, cell references, or ranges:
=MINA(5,10)
=MINA(A1,A2,A3)
=MINA(A1:A10)
MINA vs. MIN
The primary difference between MIN and MINA is that MINA evaluates TRUE and FALSE values as 1 and 0, and text values as zero when these values appear in a range or in a cell reference. You can see this behavior in the range I8:I12 of the example shown. While the MIN function ignores the logical and text values completely, the MINA function includes these values when calculating a minimum value.
Note that MIN and MINA both evaluate numbers as text when supplied directly as arguments:
=MINA(5,"3") // returns 3
=MIN(5,"3") // returns 3
Notes
- MINA ignores empty cells, but evaluates logical values and text values.
- Arguments can be provided as numbers, names, arrays, or references.
- If arguments contain no numeric values, MINA returns 0.
- To ignore logical values and text, see the MIN function.
Related functions
MIN Function
The Excel MIN function returns the smallest numeric value in the data provided. The MIN function ignores empty cells, the logical values TRUE and FALSE, and text values.
MAX Function
The Excel MAX function returns the largest numeric value in the data provided. MAX ignores empty cells, the logical values TRUE and FALSE, and text values.
MAXA Function
The Excel MAXA function returns the largest numeric value in a range of values. The MAXA function ignores empty cells, but evaluates the logical values TRUE and FALSE as 1 and 0, and evaluates text as zero.
SMALL Function
The Excel SMALL function returns a numeric value based on its position in a list when sorted by value in ascending order. In other words, SMALL can return the "nth smallest" value (1st smallest value, 2nd smallest value, 3rd smallest value, etc.) from a set of numeric data.
RANK Function
The Excel RANK function returns the rank of a numeric value when compared to a list of other numeric values. RANK can rank values from largest to smallest (i.e. top sales) as well as smallest to largest (i.e. fastest time).
