It looks like “cotas x min x max” is referring to the math ideas of lower/upper bounds and the minimum/maximum of a set. In Spanish math usage, cota inferior means lower bound, cota superior means upper bound, while mínimo and máximo are the smallest and largest elements when they actually belong to the set.

What the terms mean

  • cota inferior : a number that is less than or equal to every element in the set.
  • cota superior : a number that is greater than or equal to every element in the set.
  • mínimo : the smallest element of the set, if it exists.
  • máximo : the largest element of the set, if it exists.

Why the difference matters

A set can have bounds without having a minimum or maximum. For example, an interval like (0,1)(0,1)(0,1) has lower bounds and upper bounds, but it has no minimum or maximum because the endpoints are not included.

Simple example

For the set A={2,4,7}A=\{2,4,7\}A={2,4,7}:

  • lower bounds include any number ≤2\le 2≤2,
  • upper bounds include any number ≥7\ge 7≥7,
  • the minimum is 222,
  • the maximum is 777.

In plain language

If someone writes something like “cotas x min x max” , they usually mean they are comparing:

  1. bounds of a set,
  2. its minimum value,
  3. its maximum value.

TL;DR: “cotas” are bounds, while “min” and “max” are the actual smallest and largest values when those values exist in the set.