Several resistors of various values are connected in parallel. How does the total resistance of the combination compare to the individual resistors?

When resistors are connected in parallel, there are multiple paths for the electrical current to flow. Adding more paths always makes it easier for current to travel overall, which means the total resistance of the circuit decreases. Because of this parallel structure, the total equivalent resistance of the circuit will always be strictly less than the value of the smallest individual resistor in that circuit. Distractors suggesting the resistance is the average or greater than the largest resistor represent common misunderstandings. Those rules apply either to meaningless math or to series circuits, where resistance is additive.