minM

minM is a term encountered in mathematics and computer science as a shorthand notation for the minimum value within a set or collection labeled M. The precise meaning of minM depends on context, but it commonly denotes the smallest element among the members of M or, in some cases, the minimum value of a function over a domain represented by M.

In its most typical use, if M is a nonempty finite set of real numbers, minM(M) returns the smallest element of M. For example, if M = {3, 7, -2, 5}, then minM(M) equals -2. In programming and data analysis, minM is sometimes used as a function that operates on a collection or dataset to extract its minimum value. In this sense, minM is often equivalent to the standard min operation found in many languages, though the exact naming can vary between libraries.

In optimization and analysis, the concept related to minM is the minimum of a function over a domain, typically written as min_{x ∈ D} f(x). Here, minM is not a universally standard symbol, but some texts may informally refer to the minimum value in the context of a labeled set M, such as M being the feasible set or a sample space. The distinction between the minimum value (min) and the input(s) that achieve it (argmin) remains important.

Variants and limitations: minM assumes a well-defined, nonempty set M with a defined ordering. If M is empty or unordered, the minimum is not defined without additional structure. See also: min, argmin, minimization.