Complex Averages

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
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Guest

Hello, I need to design a spreadsheet that averages the last 5 and last 10
numbers in a row of up to 40 numbers. There will be various random spaces
between the entered numbers. So for example, if there are 15 numbers spread
over 40 rows, I would need to average the last 5 which could each have a few
spaces between them. There will be no 0's or negatives in the data.

Thanks
 
Hey there. If there are only 5 numbers at some point, the 5 and 10 would be
the same. I hope that helps. Basically, over the course of 3 or so months,
these numbers will begin to be added to the rows and by the end, there will
be somewhere around 30 numbers out of 40 potential leaving 10 random spaces
in each column assuming 40 max. So the last 5 and last 10 averages will
develop and deviate as more data is entered.

Thanks
 
But if you are putting numbers into random cells in the range, how
would you know which were the last 5 or last 10 entered? Do you not
mean last by date of entry, but rather last in the sequence of data?

Pete
 
Hmmm...

Well, let's start with this and go from there.

This will average the last 5 numbers in the range A1:J1.

Array entered** :

=AVERAGE(J1:INDEX(A1:J1,LARGE(IF(ISNUMBER(A1:J1),COLUMN(A1:J1)-MIN(COLUMN(A1:J1))+1),5)))

If there are less than 5 numbers the formula will return a #NUM! error.

** array formulas need to be entered using the key combination of
CTRL,SHIFT,ENTER (not just ENTER)
 
Maybe I am not explaining well or maybe it is not possible to average the
last 5 or whatever numbers of a list of numbers that has spaces but no zeros.
The range in the avg formula will be c2:c42, and the numbers will ultimatley
fill 3/4 of the fields with random spaces for the balance, So the formula,
hopefully, will avg the last 5 NUMBERS in the row, ignoring the spaces. So
the numbers in the avg of the last 5 may be spread over 7 or 8 spaces.
 
Try this array formula** :

=AVERAGE(C42:INDEX(C2:C42,LARGE(IF(ISNUMBER(C2:C42),ROW(C2:C42)-MIN(ROW(C2:C42))+1),5)))

If there are less than 5 numbers the formula will return a #NUM! error.

** array formulas need to be entered using the key combination of
CTRL,SHIFT,ENTER (not just ENTER)
 
So, I can now see that you are talking about a column of data - in
your first post you said the numbers were in a row !!

When you talk about "spaces" do you really mean just empty cells, or
will there be a <space> in those cells? Some people use a <space> to
"delete" an entry.

Pete
 
Sorry, I thought Biff had given up, but I can now see that he's back
on the scent so I'll duck out here.

Pete
 
Would it matter if it was a row or a column? I don't think it would. I was
tying to help Biff visualize what I was talking about, and I think columns
are better for that. The cells without numbers will be empty, not touched, no
data, no text. Thanks for trying.

KJ
 
It would matter


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom




kjal said:
Would it matter if it was a row or a column? I don't think it would. I was
tying to help Biff visualize what I was talking about, and I think columns
are better for that. The cells without numbers will be empty, not touched,
no
data, no text. Thanks for trying.

KJ
Click to expand...
 
FWIW,
This *array* formula will average the last 5 numbers in the range C2 to C42,
And if there are *less* then 5 numbers, it will average *any* that are
there:

=AVERAGE(C42:INDEX(C2:C42,LARGE(ROW(1:41)*(C2:C42<>""),5)))

--
Array formulas must be entered with CSE, <Ctrl> <Shift > <Enter>, instead of
the regular <Enter>, which will *automatically* enclose the formula in curly
brackets, which *cannot* be done manually. Also, you must use CSE when
revising the formula.
 
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