Question

Which aggregate function in SQL returns the smallest value from a column in a table?

• A. MIN()
• B. MAX()
• C. SMALL()
• D. LOWER()

Hint:

The aggregate function for the smallest value is MIN(). MAX() gives the largest value.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Recall what aggregate functions do:
An aggregate function reads all the values of a column and returns one single value.
The common ones are MIN(), MAX(), SUM(), AVG() and COUNT().

Step 2: Match the need to the function:
We need the smallest value of a column. The word 'minimum' means smallest, so the function is MIN().
Example: SELECT MIN(MARKS) FROM STUDENT; returns the lowest marks in the table.

Step 3: Check the options:
Option (A) MIN() returns the smallest value, so it is correct.
Option (B) MAX() returns the largest value, the opposite of what is asked.
Option (C) SMALL() is not a function in MySQL.
Option (D) LOWER() is a string function. It turns text into lower case and does not find the smallest value.

Final Answer:
MIN() returns the smallest value from a column. This is option (A).