Entering *Real* Math Formulae in Excel

W

Wilhelm

Maybe I've missed something obvious but I've now blown a day on this
....

How the &*&%$ does one enter a real math formula (simple example: "the
sum of all N sub x as x goes from x1 to x2") ???!

I have the data that I want to operate on. I know some basic
university calculus including differentials and integration. I can
formualte these simple summation functions on paper ...

But then how are they entered into and operated on in Excel???

Am I perhaps using the wrong program? (i.e. Should I be using
something like MathCad?)

Do I need to learn Excel arrays or other such extra baggage?

Thanks to all who can point me in the right direction.
 
B

Bernard Liengme

If by 'real' you mean algebraic then yes you are using the wrong program.
Try Maple, MathCad, or Mathematica.
Why you should call arrays 'baggage' is another matter. Have you had a bad
day?
 
N

N.LENN

Wilhelm wibbled:
Maybe I've missed something obvious but I've now blown a day on this
...

How the &*&%$ does one enter a real math formula (simple example: "the
sum of all N sub x as x goes from x1 to x2") ???!

I have the data that I want to operate on. I know some basic
university calculus including differentials and integration. I can
formualte these simple summation functions on paper ...

But then how are they entered into and operated on in Excel???

Excel is the equivalent of the back of an envelope, with a small
calculator attached.
It is quite hard to set it up to do what you want.
Am I perhaps using the wrong program? (i.e. Should I be using
something like MathCad?)

This would be much better, yes. Have a look at Matlab, too.
 
G

Gerry Myerson

How the &*&%$ does one enter a real math formula (simple example: "the
sum of all N sub x as x goes from x1 to x2") ???!

I can't imagine doing real math in Excel, but doesn't
sum(n23:n97) produce the value n23 + n24 + ... + n97?
If it doesn't, something like it does, and it should be possible
to find out within Excel because it has some kind of Help thing
built in & you can just look for "sum" and it should tell you
how to use it.
 
S

Stephan Kassanke

Wilhelm said:
Maybe I've missed something obvious but I've now blown a day on this
...

How the &*&%$ does one enter a real math formula (simple example: "the
sum of all N sub x as x goes from x1 to x2") ???!

I have the data that I want to operate on. I know some basic
university calculus including differentials and integration. I can
formualte these simple summation functions on paper ...

But then how are they entered into and operated on in Excel???

Am I perhaps using the wrong program? (i.e. Should I be using
something like MathCad?)

Do I need to learn Excel arrays or other such extra baggage?

Thanks to all who can point me in the right direction.

Wilhelm,

you might have a look at
http://people.hofstra.edu/faculty/Stefan_Waner/RealWorld/summaryindex.html.
In general I think Excel is the wrong tool for your purposes.

hth,
Stephan
 
D

David C. Ullrich

I can't imagine doing real math in Excel, but doesn't
sum(n23:n97) produce the value n23 + n24 + ... + n97?
If it doesn't, something like it does, and it should be possible
to find out within Excel because it has some kind of Help thing
built in & you can just look for "sum" and it should tell you
how to use it.

Gosh, that sounds useful. Say I were running Excel - how would
I find this Help thing?


************************

David C. Ullrich
 
N

Norman Harker

Hi David!

Use:

Help > Microsoft Excel Help

You can do a search on the function name or function reference.

Or perhaps get my function lists which automates help for all
functions.

Or refer to:

Peter Noneley:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/noneley/

Or do a Google search on the function name. Here I'd recommend Ron de
Bruin's Google Search 6 addin:

http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm

--
Regards
Norman Harker MVP (Excel)
Sydney, Australia
(e-mail address removed)
Excel and Word Function Lists (Classifications, Syntax and Arguments)
available free to good homes.
 
D

David C. Ullrich

Hi David!

Use:

Help > Microsoft Excel Help

You can do a search on the function name or function reference.

Or perhaps get my function lists which automates help for all
functions.

Or refer to:

Peter Noneley:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/noneley/

Or do a Google search on the function name. Here I'd recommend Ron de
Bruin's Google Search 6 addin:

http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm

Thanks. I woulda thought it would be like on one of the menus
in Excel, but I can't figure out which one.


************************

David C. Ullrich
 
G

George Cox

David C. Ullrich said:
Gosh, that sounds useful. Say I were running Excel - how would
I find this Help thing?

It has some kind of Meta Help thing built in & you can just look for
"Help" and it should tell you how to use it.
 
N

N.LENN

Gerry Myerson wibbled:
I can't imagine doing real math in Excel, but doesn't
sum(n23:n97) produce the value n23 + n24 + ... + n97?
If it doesn't, something like it does, and it should be possible
to find out within Excel because it has some kind of Help thing
built in & you can just look for "sum" and it should tell you
how to use it.
yeh, you can do that stuff, but you have to spell out all the steps
explicitly. it does arithmetic rather than maths. it's not a fun way to
do that stuff.
 
J

Jonathan Miller

David C. Ullrich said:
Gosh, that sounds useful. Say I were running Excel - how would
I find this Help thing?

Why, you read the manual, of course. Duh.

Jon Miller
 

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