Articles

Complex Numbers in Excel

Excel has supported the complex number system for years. Engineers use it to solve problems related to electronics, fluid dynamics, and signal processing. The way Excel's formula engine implements complex numbers is an example of functional programming, a paradigm that Microsoft has invested heavily in recently with the latest updates and functions.

New Excel Functions

Nearly 50 new functions have been added to Excel! This is not your Dad's Excel anymore – a lot has changed. This article takes a quick tour of the new functions, with links to more detailed information.

Why SUMPRODUCT?

In this article, I attempt to explain why you see SUMPRODUCT so often in formulas, and when you can use the SUM function instead. The short version: SUMPRODUCT supports array operations natively, which makes it very useful for solving seemingly unrelated Excel problems. In the current version of Excel, you can use the SUM function instead, but SUMPRODUCT is better for backwards compatibility.

What is an array formula?

In the world of Excel formulas, the term "array formula" is probably responsible for more confusion than just about any other concept. This is because the definition of an array formula has become mixed up with the requirement to enter some array formulas in a special way, with control + shift + enter.

Excel's RACON functions

There are eight widely used functions in Excel that use a syntax different from other functions in Excel. This syntax can make these functions more challenging to use, because it is not intuitive.  Read on for important information about COUNTIF, COUNTIFS, SUMIF, SUMIFS,  AVERAGEIF, AVERAGEIFS, MINIFS, and MAXIFS.

Alternatives to Dynamic Array Functions

Dynamic Excel offers 6 brand new functions that solve hard problems in Excel like sorting, filtering, and working with unique values. For those not using Office 365, this page provides some alternative formulas that work in older versions of Excel.

Dynamic array formulas in Excel

Dynamic Arrays are the biggest change to Excel formulas in years. Maybe the biggest change ever. This is because Dynamic Arrays let you easily work with multiple values at the same time in a formula. This article provides an overview with many links and examples.

Excel Formula Errors

Formula errors are useful because they tell you clearly that something is wrong in a worksheet. This guide shows examples of each of the Excel formula errors you might run into and provides information on how to investigate and correct the error. It also explains two methods to quickly find errors in a worksheet or workbook.

How to lookup first and last match

If VLOOKUP finds more than one match, will you get the first match or the last match? It's a trick question. It depends :) This article explains this confusing topic in detail, with lots of examples.

Excel formulas and functions

Most people never receive proper Excel training and spend years frustrated by the simplest tasks, especially tasks that involve formulas. To use Excel with confidence, you must have a good understanding of formulas and functions. This article introduces the basic concepts you need to know to be proficient with formulas in Excel.

101 Excel Functions you should know

Excel contains over 500 functions, with more functions added every year. That is a huge number, so where should you start? This guide provides a walkthrough of over 100 important functions in Excel with many examples and links. Click function names for details and more examples.

How to use formula criteria (50 examples)

Criteria are a key concept in Excel, but building useful criteria for text, numbers, dates, times, etc. is hard because it requires a good understanding of how Excel handles data. This guide will help you build formulas that work the first time with over 50 examples.

Excel shows formula but not result

Have you entered a formula, but Excel is not showing a result? This can be very confusing, and you might think you've somehow broken your spreadsheet. However, it's likely a simple problem. With a little troubleshooting, you can get things working again.

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