---
title: Min/Max
description: Compute the min/max value of a field
canonical: https://docs.paradedb.com/documentation/aggregates/metrics/minmax
---

`min` and `max` return the smallest and largest values of a column, respectively.

SQL's `MIN`/`MAX` syntax is supported in beta. To enable it, first run:

```sql SQL
SET paradedb.enable_aggregate_custom_scan TO on;
```

## Min

The `min` aggregation returns the smallest value in a field.

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT pdb.agg('{"min": {"field": "rating"}}') FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from paradedb import Agg, All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(agg=Agg('{"min": {"field": "rating"}}'))
```

```python SQLAlchemy
from sqlalchemy import select
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from paradedb.sqlalchemy import facets, pdb, search

stmt = (
    select(pdb.agg(facets.min(field="rating")))
    .select_from(MockItem)
    .where(search.all(MockItem.id))
)

with Session(engine) as session:
    session.execute(stmt).all()
```

```ruby Rails
MockItem.search(:id)
        .match_all
        .facets_agg(agg: ParadeDB::Aggregations.min(:rating))
```

</CodeGroup>

```ini Expected Response
      agg
----------------
 {"value": 1.0}
(1 row)
```

See the [Tantivy documentation](https://docs.rs/tantivy/latest/tantivy/aggregation/metric/struct.MinAggregation.html) for all available options.

### SQL Min Syntax

With `paradedb.enable_aggregate_custom_scan` enabled, the following query is equivalent to the above and is executed in the same way.

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT MIN(rating) FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from django.db.models import Min
from paradedb import All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(min_rating=Min('rating'))
```

```python SQLAlchemy
from sqlalchemy import func, select
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from paradedb.sqlalchemy import search

stmt = (
    select(func.min(MockItem.rating))
    .select_from(MockItem)
    .where(search.all(MockItem.id))
)

with Session(engine) as session:
    session.execute(stmt).all()
```

```ruby Rails
MockItem.search(:id).match_all.minimum(:rating)
```

</CodeGroup>

By default, `MIN` ignores null values. Use `COALESCE` to include them in the final result:

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT MIN(COALESCE(rating, 0)) FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from django.db.models import Min, Value
from django.db.models.functions import Coalesce
from paradedb import All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(min_rating=Min(Coalesce('rating', Value(0))))
```

```python SQLAlchemy
from sqlalchemy import func, select
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from paradedb.sqlalchemy import search

stmt = (
    select(func.min(func.coalesce(MockItem.rating, 0)))
    .select_from(MockItem)
    .where(search.all(MockItem.id))
)

with Session(engine) as session:
    session.execute(stmt).all()
```

```ruby Rails
rating = MockItem.arel_table[:rating]
coalesced_rating = Arel::Nodes::NamedFunction.new("COALESCE", [rating, Arel::Nodes.build_quoted(0)])

MockItem.search(:id).match_all.minimum(coalesced_rating)
```

</CodeGroup>

## Max

The `max` aggregation returns the largest value in a field.

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT pdb.agg('{"max": {"field": "rating"}}') FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from paradedb import Agg, All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(agg=Agg('{"max": {"field": "rating"}}'))
```

```python SQLAlchemy
from sqlalchemy import select
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from paradedb.sqlalchemy import facets, pdb, search

stmt = (
    select(pdb.agg(facets.max(field="rating")))
    .select_from(MockItem)
    .where(search.all(MockItem.id))
)

with Session(engine) as session:
    session.execute(stmt).all()
```

```ruby Rails
MockItem.search(:id)
        .match_all
        .facets_agg(agg: ParadeDB::Aggregations.max(:rating))
```

</CodeGroup>

```ini Expected Response
      agg
----------------
 {"value": 5.0}
(1 row)
```

### SQL Max Syntax

With `paradedb.enable_aggregate_custom_scan` enabled, the following query is equivalent to the above and is executed in the same way.

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT MAX(rating) FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from django.db.models import Max
from paradedb import All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(max_rating=Max('rating'))
```

```python SQLAlchemy
from sqlalchemy import func, select
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from paradedb.sqlalchemy import search

stmt = (
    select(func.max(MockItem.rating))
    .select_from(MockItem)
    .where(search.all(MockItem.id))
)

with Session(engine) as session:
    session.execute(stmt).all()
```

```ruby Rails
MockItem.search(:id).match_all.maximum(:rating)
```

</CodeGroup>

By default, `MAX` ignores null values. Use `COALESCE` to include them in the final result:

<CodeGroup>
```sql SQL
SELECT MAX(COALESCE(rating, 0)) FROM mock_items
WHERE id @@@ pdb.all();
```

```python Django
from django.db.models import Max, Value
from django.db.models.functions import Coalesce
from paradedb import All, ParadeDB

MockItem.objects.filter(
    id=ParadeDB(All())
).aggregate(max_rating=Max(Coalesce('rating', Value(0))))
```

```python SQLAlchemy
from sqlalchemy import func, select
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from paradedb.sqlalchemy import search

stmt = (
    select(func.max(func.coalesce(MockItem.rating, 0)))
    .select_from(MockItem)
    .where(search.all(MockItem.id))
)

with Session(engine) as session:
    session.execute(stmt).all()
```

```ruby Rails
rating = MockItem.arel_table[:rating]
coalesced_rating = Arel::Nodes::NamedFunction.new("COALESCE", [rating, Arel::Nodes.build_quoted(0)])

MockItem.search(:id).match_all.maximum(coalesced_rating)
```

</CodeGroup>
