20.11

java.lang.Math

THE PACKAGE JAVA.LANG

20.11.25

public static int min(int a, int b)

E duobus malis minimum eligendum.

 Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 43

B. C.

),

De officiis

, iii

The result is the smaller of the two arguments that is, the one closer to the value

of

Integer.MIN_VALUE

 ( 20.7.1). If the arguments have the same value, the

result is that same value.

20.11.26

public static long min(long a, long b)

Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese.

 Geoffrey Chaucer (1328 1400),

Troilus and Creseide

, Book ii

The result is the smaller of the two arguments that is, the one closer to the value

of

Long.MIN_VALUE

 ( 20.8.1). If the arguments have the same value, the result is

that same value.

20.11.27

public static float min(float a, float b)

Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen.

 Thomas a Kempis (1380 1471),

Imitation of Christ

, Book iii, chapter 12

The result is the smaller of the two arguments that is, the one closer to negative

infinity. If the arguments have the same value, the result is that same value.

Special cases:

If one argument is positive zero and the other is negative zero, the result is

negative zero.

If either argument is NaN, the result is NaN.

[This specification for the method

min

 is scheduled for introduction in Java

version 1.1. In previous versions of Java,

min(0.0f,  0.0f)

returns

0.0f

, which

is not correct.]

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