quotient function prob. i have copied example but it gives error

[Guest]

i am running excell 2003 and am trying to use the quotient function.

I have found the ms help on the web and even copied and pasted the example
but all i get is an error. It is like my version of excel doesnt have the
quotient function at all, it isnt listed in the list of functions locally but
i get lots of refs to it here at MS office site?

Help Please

 

[Guest]

It is part of the Analysis ToolPak Add-In. To Install this:

Select Tools
Then Add-Ins...
Check the box next to Analysis TookPak
Click OK
Re-enter your formula (or recalculate 'F9')

If you don't see the Analysis ToolPak as an option, then you need to
reinstall it from your Office CD.

HTH,
Elkar

 

[Dave Peterson]

Why would you want to use:

=quotient(a1,b1)
instead of
=int(a1/b1)

Just curious.

 

[Guest]

Why would you want to use:
=quotient(a1,b1) instead of =int(a1/b1)

Isn't quotient(a1,b1) more like roundown(a1/b1,0)
than int(a1/b1)? The difference seems to arise when
a1/b1 is negative, for example -10/3.

 

[Guest]

Not sure, i am a bit new to this i just need the full integer and not the
rest for one part of the formula and i need the remainder (MOD) for the rest

 

[Dave Peterson]

Maybe:

=trunc(a1/b1)

just in case???

Isn't quotient(a1,b1) more like roundown(a1/b1,0)
than int(a1/b1)? The difference seems to arise when
a1/b1 is negative, for example -10/3.

 

[Dave Peterson]

I think I'd use =int() or =trunc() instead to get that quotient, though.

 

[Dave Peterson]

And it may just boil down to what the OP wants--no matter what =quotient(),
=int() and =trunc() return.

But I think it's good that you showed the difference.

 

[Dana DeLouis]

Hi. Just 2 cents. The primary definition of Quotient is Floor (x)
http://functions.wolfram.com/IntegerFunctions/Quotient

In math, Quotient (-5,3) returns -2, but Excel returns -1.
It's hard to tell where the problem is with Excel because Floor (-2.5)
returns -3 in math programs, but Excel rounds towards 0 and returns -2.
Excel operates "a little differently" shall we say. Again...just 2 cents.

 

[Tushar Mehta]

Excel operates "a little differently" shall we say. Again...just 2 cents.

LOL! That's being polite.

To me it seems that the original analysts/programmers assigned the task of
developing various math and stats functions did not know their math (or
stats) or were given very poor specs and made up rules as they went along.

For example, the help for Floor claims "Rounds number down, toward zero..."
That's simply impossible for negative numbers.

--
Regards,

Tushar Mehta
www.tushar-mehta.com
Excel, PowerPoint, and VBA add-ins, tutorials
Custom MS Office productivity solutions

 

[Guest]

I think I'd use =int() or =trunc() instead to get that quotient, though.

Quotient function in excel is rather buggy:
given d=divisior, D=dividend; Q=quotient; R=rest
d D Q R
5 10 0 5
-5 10 -0 5
5 -10 -0 -5
-5 -10 0 -5

Apart the very funny invention of the concept of -0 in excel, now if we apply
the rule d=D*q+r we get that is verified only for the first and the fourth
expression not for the second and the third.

Forget about quotient
Also for the math definition of rest 0<=R<|D| so R should always be > 0

But that is a long time bug, probably correcting it will break compatibility
with a lot of spreadsheets.