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std::ranges::min_element

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Algorithm library
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Constrained algorithms, e.g. ranges::copy, ranges::sort, ...
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(C++17)
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(C++11)
(C++11)
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(until C++17)(C++11)
(C++20)(C++20)
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(C++17)

Sorting and related operations
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(C++11)    

Sorting operations
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(on partitioned ranges)
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(C++11)
(C++17)
Lexicographical comparison operations
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Constrained algorithms
All names in this menu belong to namespace std::ranges
Non-modifying sequence operations
Fold operations (Helper templates)
Modifying sequence operations
Partitioning operations
Sorting operations
Binary search operations (on sorted ranges)
       
       
Set operations (on sorted ranges)
Heap operations
Minimum/maximum operations
       
       
Permutation operations
Specialized <memory> algorithms
Return types
 
Defined in header <algorithm>
Call signature
template< std::forward_iterator I, std::sentinel_for<I> S,
          class Proj = std::identity,
          std::indirect_strict_weak_order
              <std::projected<I, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less >
constexpr I
    min_element( I first, S last, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );
(1) (since C++20)
template< ranges::forward_range R, class Proj = std::identity,
          std::indirect_strict_weak_order
              <std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>,
                              Proj>> Comp = ranges::less >
constexpr ranges::borrowed_iterator_t<R>
    min_element( R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );
(2) (since C++20)
template< /*execution-policy*/ Ep,
          std::random_access_iterator I, std::sized_sentinel_for<I> S,
          class Proj = std::identity,
          std::indirect_strict_weak_order
              <std::projected<I, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less >
I min_element( Ep&& policy, I first, S last,
               Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );
(3) (since C++26)
template< /*execution-policy*/ Ep, /*sized-random-access-range*/ R,
          class Proj = std::identity,
          std::indirect_strict_weak_order
              <std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>,
                              Proj>> Comp = ranges::less >
ranges::borrowed_iterator_t<R>
    min_element( Ep&& policy, R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );
(4) (since C++26)

For the definition of /*execution-policy*/, see this page; for the definition of /*sized-random-access-range*/, see this page.

1,2) Finds the smallest element (projected by proj) in the target range [first, last) or r, the projected values are compared using comp.
3,4) Same as (1,2), but executed according to policy.

The function-like entities described on this page are algorithm function objects (informally known as niebloids), that is:

Parameters

first, last - the iterator-sentinel pair defining the target range
r - the target range
comp - the comparator to be applied to the (projected) elements
proj - the projection to be applied to the elements
policy - the execution policy to use

Return value

Iterator to the smallest element in the target range.

  • If there are multiple smallest elements, returns the iterator to the first one of them.
  • If the target range is empty, returns its past-the-end iterator.

Complexity

Given N as ranges::distance(first, last) or ranges::distance(r):

1,2) Exactly max(N-1,0) applications of comp, and twice as many applications of proj.
3,4) 𝓞(N) applications of comp, and twice as many applications of proj.

Exceptions

3,4) During the execution process:
  • If the temporary memory resources required for parallelization are not available, std::bad_alloc is thrown.
  • If an uncaught exception is thrown while accessing objects via an algorithm argument, the behavior is determined by the execution policy (for standard policies, std::terminate is invoked).

Possible implementation

struct min_element_fn
{
    template<std::forward_iterator I, std::sentinel_for<I> S, class Proj = std::identity,
             std::indirect_strict_weak_order<std::projected<I, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
    constexpr I operator()(I first, S last, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
    {
        if (first == last)
            return last;
        
        auto smallest = first;
        while (++first != last)
            if (std::invoke(comp, std::invoke(proj, *first), std::invoke(proj, *smallest)))
                smallest = first;
        return smallest;
    }
    
    template<ranges::forward_range R, class Proj = std::identity,
             std::indirect_strict_weak_order
                 <std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
    constexpr ranges::borrowed_iterator_t<R>
        operator()(R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
    {
        return (*this)(ranges::begin(r), ranges::next(ranges::begin(r), ranges::end(r)),
                       std::ref(comp), std::ref(proj));
    }
};

inline constexpr min_element_fn min_element;

Example

#include <algorithm>
#include <array>
#include <cmath>
#include <iostream>
 
int main()
{
    namespace ranges = std::ranges;
    
    std::array v{3, 1, -13, 1, 3, 7, -13};
    
    auto iterator = ranges::min_element(v.begin(), v.end());
    auto position = ranges::distance(v.begin(), iterator);
    std::cout << "min element is v[" << position << "] == " << *iterator << '\n';
    
    auto abs_compare = [](int a, int b) { return (std::abs(a) < std::abs(b)); };
    iterator = ranges::min_element(v, abs_compare);
    position = ranges::distance(v.begin(), iterator);
    std::cout << "|min| element is v[" << position << "] == " << *iterator << '\n';
}

Output:

min element is v[2] == -13
|min| element is v[1] == 1

See also

returns the smallest element in a range
(function template) [edit]
returns the largest element in a range
(algorithm function object)[edit]
returns the smallest and the largest elements in a range
(algorithm function object)[edit]
returns the greater of the given values
(algorithm function object)[edit]