Re: Excel Math Bug
From: Nameless (news.mail_at_chello.no)
Date: 08/03/04
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Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 17:11:32 +0200
"fred" wrote in message
news:u9APc.108306$fv.5331@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> Do any of you SCI.MATH whizes want to weigh in on this?
>
> MS Excel calculates "=-5^2" as 25, not as -25.
> This is because 'negation' is handled first in Excel. (!?)
> If you put a zero in the equation,
> as in "=0-5^2", your answer changes to -25.
>
> Is this in line with standard math rules?
> Is negation different than subtraction?
>
> I'm getting a lot of comments in the Excel NG
> basically saying that "it's in the help section, so too bad".
>
> I've had lots of math and as far as I know
> negation and subtraction are the same thing.
Hmm, judging by the other posts, I seem to be the odd man
out! When I went to (primary) school,
-5 to the power of two = -5 * -5 = 25
-5 to the power of three = -5 * -5 * -5 = -125
...and so on.
The minus in "=0-5^2" is an operator, so zero less 5 to the
power of two = -25.
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