Mínimos

Mínimos is the plural form of mínimo in Spanish and Portuguese, used to denote the smallest value, degree or level in various contexts. As a noun or adjective, it helps describe the lower bound or least amount in disciplines ranging from mathematics to everyday language.

In mathematics, a minimum is the smallest element of a set or the least value of a function on its domain. Global minima are values that are smaller than all others in the domain; local minima are points where the function is smaller than nearby values. The argmin designates where a minimum is attained. In optimization, problems are often posed as minimization tasks, seeking to minimize an objective function such as cost or distance, through methods like linear programming or convex optimization.

In statistics, the minimum is one of the order statistics—the smallest observation in a sample. The sampling distribution of the minimum depends on the underlying population and sample size, and it features in reliability analysis and extreme-value theory.

In economics and public policy, mínimos may refer to minimum thresholds, such as the salario mínimo (minimum wage) or minimum prices set to regulate markets.

In Catholic history, the Order of the Minims, or Los Mínimos, is a mendicant religious order founded in the 15th century by Saint Francis of Paola, emphasizing humility and ascetic practice.

The term derives from the Latin minimum and has cognates in Spanish, Portuguese and other Romance languages.