Mmin

mmin, often written as m_min or mmin, is a notation that denotes a minimum value associated with the variable m. It is not a standardized concept across all fields, but appears in mathematics, statistics, seismology, and computer science with related but distinct meanings.

In mathematics and optimization, m_min commonly denotes the smallest value of a function f(m) over a specified domain, or the value of m that minimizes f (m_min = argmin_m f(m)). In this usage, m_min is defined relative to a problem’s objective and constraints.

In seismology and earthquake science, m_min is widely used to denote the lower magnitude cutoff in a catalog. Magnitude measurements below m_min are often incomplete due to detection limits, so they are excluded from statistical fits such as the Gutenberg–Richter law.

In computing and software, mmin may appear as a parameter name representing a minimum threshold or size, for example the minimum number of iterations, minimum sample size, or minimum margin required for an operation. It is typically defined in configuration files or source code.

In practice, when encountering mmin, it is important to check the surrounding notation, definitions, and units in the source material to determine the intended meaning. See also m_min, argmin, and minimum.