min_n python Code Snippet in 2024

Returns the n minimum elements from the provided list.

• Use sorted() to sort the list.
• Use slice notation to get the specified number of elements.
• Omit the second argument, n, to get a one-element list.
• If n is greater than or equal to the provided list's length, then return the original list (sorted in ascending order).

def min_n(lst, n = 1):
  return sorted(lst, reverse = False)[:n]

min_n([1, 2, 3]) # [1]
min_n([1, 2, 3], 2) # [1, 2]