MySQL Cookbook, 2nd Edition

Summarizing with MIN() and MAX()

Problem

You need to determine the smallest or largest of a set of values.

Solution

Use MIN() to find the smallest value, MAX() to find the largest.

Discussion

Finding smallest or largest values is somewhat akin to sorting, except that instead of producing an entire set of sorted values, you select only a single value at one end or the other of the sorted range. This kind of operation applies to questions about smallest, largest, oldest, newest, most expensive, least expensive, and so forth. One way to find such values is to use the MIN() and MAX() functions. (Another way to address these questions is to use LIMIT; see the discussions in Recipes and .)

Because MIN() and MAX() determine the extreme values in a set, they’re useful for characterizing ranges:

• What date range is represented by the rows in the mail table? What are the smallest and largest messages sent?

  mysql>SELECT
      -> MIN(t) AS earliest, MAX(t) AS latest,
      -> MIN(size) AS smallest, MAX(size) AS largest
      -> FROM mail;
  +---------------------+---------------------+----------+---------+
  | earliest            | latest              | smallest | largest |
  +---------------------+---------------------+----------+---------+
  | 2006-05-11 10:15:08 | 2006-05-19 22:21:51 |      271 | 2394482 |
  +---------------------+---------------------+----------+---------+

• What are the shortest and longest trips in the driver_log table?

  mysql>SELECT MIN(miles) AS shortest, MAX(miles) AS longest
      -> FROM driver_log; +----------+---------+ | shortest | ...