DAX MIN Function

The DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) MIN function in Power BI is used to return the smallest numeric value in a column. This function is essential for identifying the minimum value within a set of numbers, which can be useful in various analytical scenarios.

Syntax:

MIN(<column>)

<column>: The column for which you want to find the minimum value.

Purpose:

The MIN function is used to determine the smallest value in a specified column. This can be helpful in various analyses, such as identifying the lowest sales figure, the earliest date, or the smallest number of units sold.

Example:

Suppose you have a table named "Sales" with columns "Product" and "Revenue". You want to find the minimum revenue generated from all products.

You can use the MIN function as follows:

MinimumSales = MIN(Sales[SalesAmount])

This formula calculates the minimum value in the "SalesAmount" column in the "Sales" table.

Considerations:

Filter Context: The MIN function respects the filter context applied to the data. It calculates the minimum value based on the current filter context, which may include slicers, filters, or row-level security.

Blank Values: The MIN function ignores blank or null values in the column while calculating the minimum. Only non-blank numerical values are considered.

Data Types: Ensure that the column you are using with the MIN function contains numerical or date values. Applying MIN to non-numeric data types like text can lead to errors.

Use Cases:

Minimum Sales: Identify the lowest sales amount to understand the worst sales performance.

Minimum Date: Find the earliest date in a dataset to determine the starting point of a timeline.

Minimum Quantity: Determine the smallest number of units sold in any transaction.

Advanced Use Case:

If you want to find the minimum revenue for a specific product category, you can use the CALCULATE function with MIN

MinimumSalesForCategory = 

CALCULATE(MIN(Sales[SalesAmount]), Sales[Category] = "Electronics")

This formula calculates the minimum sales within the "Electronics" category.

The MIN function in Power BI is a straightforward but powerful tool for finding the smallest value in a numeric column. It is widely used in various analytical scenarios to identify minimum values and gain insights into the data.