What is the purpose of the ceil function in SAS?

The purpose of the ceil function in SAS is to return the smallest integer that is greater than or equal to a specified numeric argument. This means that it essentially rounds a number up to the nearest whole number, regardless of whether the number is already an integer or has a decimal component. For example, if the argument provided to the ceil function is 3.2, the result would be 4, and if the argument is -3.8, the result would be -3, because -3 is the smallest integer greater than -3.8.

This behavior is crucial in scenarios where one needs to ensure that a value does not fall below a certain threshold when rounded. Understanding this function can be particularly helpful when dealing with calculations that require precision regarding upper limits or maximum entries.