max-minproblem

noun
UK /ˌmæks ˈmɪn ˌprɒbləm/
US /ˌmæks ˈmɪn ˌprɑːbləm/

A math puzzle where you try to make something as big as possible or as small as possible.

The teacher gave us a max-minproblem about fitting the most toys into a box.

SYNONYMS

optimization problemextremum problemmaximum-minimum problembest-worst problem

RELATED WORDS

maximumminimumoptimizationextremumcalculus

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A situation where you must balance the biggest and smallest amounts of something.

Planning the party was a max-minproblem: we wanted the most fun with the least money.

3. A decision where you compare the best possible outcome with the worst possible outcome.

Choosing a route to school became a max-minproblem when we weighed the fastest way against the safest way.

4. A computer task that finds the highest and lowest values in a list of numbers.

The program solved the max-minproblem by scanning the scores for the top and bottom marks.