Once you add the limitation that your range should be more than zero, the expected result won't keep you waiting. If you don't want zeros to be that minimum, you need some help from the IF function. The thing is, MIN works with not only positive and negative numbers but also with zeroes. For example, how would you determine the least non-zero value? Any ideas? Don't cheat and google it, just keep reading ) How to find the lowest value ignoring zerosĭoes it seem like you know everything about locating the minimum? Don't jump to conclusions, there is plenty left to learn. You can read more about array formulas and their usage here. Note! Did you notice the curly brackets around the function? It's a sign that this is an array formula and it needs to be entered via Ctrl + Shift + Enter, not just Enter. Just enter the following formula in any blank cell: Thus, the combination of MIN and ABS functions will do the trick. The ready-made solution to this particular case is called ABS function which returns the absolute value of numbers you specify. If you have any doubts, just look through our blog. Is there a ready-made solution here? The question was rhetorical, there is a solution for any task in Excel. Here you need a helper function that can convert all negative numbers to positive ones. The MIN alone won't be able to handle that since it will just return the smallest number. Supposing that you have a data range and need to detect not simply the lowest but the absolute minimum there. How to discover the earliest date in Excel? Easy! Use MIN following the same logic from example 1:Īpply the formula and select the dates either by referencing the range directly:Įxample 3. Imagine that you have a few deliveries planned and would like to be ready for the most upcoming one. There are several ways to go:Ĭase 1: Enter each and every numeral from the Qty in stock column:Ĭase 2: Reference the cells from the Qty column one by one:Ĭase 3: Or simply reference the whole range:Ĭase 4: Alternatively, you can create a named range and use it instead to avoid any direct references: Your task is to check if you are running out of any. MIN is one of the easiest functions to apply. However, arguments like logical values, text, empty cells are ignored.

The arguments can be numbers, cells, arrays of references, and ranges. There are up to 255 arguments allowed in one function. Number1 is required while and the following are optional. Number1,, … is the series of values from where you want to get a minimum.

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