NAME¶

std::numeric_limits::lowest - std::numeric_limits::lowest

Synopsis¶

static constexpr T lowest() noexcept; (since C++11)

Returns the lowest finite value representable by the numeric type T, that is, a
finite value x such that there is no other finite value y where y < x. This is
different from std::numeric_limits<T>::min() for floating-point types. Only
meaningful for bounded types.

Return value¶

T std::numeric_limits<T>::lowest()
/* non-specialized */ T()
bool false
char CHAR_MIN
signed char SCHAR_MIN
unsigned char 0
wchar_t WCHAR_MIN
char8_t (since C++20) 0
char16_t 0
char32_t 0
short SHRT_MIN
unsigned short 0
int INT_MIN
unsigned int 0
long LONG_MIN
unsigned long 0
long long LLONG_MIN
unsigned long long 0
float -FLT_MAX
double -DBL_MAX
long double -LDBL_MAX

Notes¶

For every standard C++ floating-point type T std::numeric_limits<T>::lowest() ==
-std::numeric_limits<T>::max(), but this does not necessarily have to be the case
for any third-party specialization.

Example¶

Demonstrates min(), max(), and lowest() for floating-point types:

// Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <limits>
#include <string_view>

template<typename T>
void print_twice(std::string_view type, T value)
{
std::cout << '\t' << type << ": "
<< std::defaultfloat << value << " or "
<< std::hexfloat << value << '\n';
}

int main()
{
// min()
std::cout << "std::numeric_limits<T>::min():\n";
print_twice("float", std::numeric_limits<float>::min());
print_twice("double", std::numeric_limits<double>::min());
print_twice("long double", std::numeric_limits<long double>::min());

// lowest()
std::cout << "std::numeric_limits<T>::lowest():\n";
print_twice("float", std::numeric_limits<float>::lowest());
print_twice("double", std::numeric_limits<double>::lowest());
print_twice("long double", std::numeric_limits<long double>::lowest());

// max()
std::cout << "std::numeric_limits<T>::max():\n";
print_twice("float", std::numeric_limits<float>::max());
print_twice("double", std::numeric_limits<double>::max());
print_twice("long double", std::numeric_limits<long double>::max());
}

Output:¶

std::numeric_limits<T>::min():
float: 1.17549e-38 or 0x1p-126
double: 2.22507e-308 or 0x1p-1022
long double: 3.3621e-4932 or 0x8p-16385
std::numeric_limits<T>::lowest():
float: -3.40282e+38 or -0x1.fffffep+127
double: -1.79769e+308 or -0x1.fffffffffffffp+1023
long double: -1.18973e+4932 or -0xf.fffffffffffffffp+16380
std::numeric_limits<T>::max():
float: 3.40282e+38 or 0x1.fffffep+127
double: 1.79769e+308 or 0x1.fffffffffffffp+1023
long double: 1.18973e+4932 or 0xf.fffffffffffffffp+16380

See also¶

min returns the smallest finite value of the given type
[static] (public static member function)
denorm_min returns the smallest positive subnormal value of the given floating-point
[static] type
(public static member function)
max returns the largest finite value of the given type
[static] (public static member function)