Excel BUG!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Asto
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A

Asto

Dears,
let me say that something is going wrong:

- put in cell A1 the number 1
- type in another cell =A1^2 --> the results it's 1. well...
- type in another cell = - A1^2 --> the results it's 1 again!
- try with = 0 - A1^2 --> the results it's -1 ! hahaha
- =exp( - A1^2) --> the results it's 2.718281828!
wonderful

the bug is the same in 2003-2007-2010 versions.
Best wishes

Asto
 
(e-mail address removed)>, (e-mail address removed)
says...
Dears,
let me say that something is going wrong:

- put in cell A1 the number 1
- type in another cell =A1^2 --> the results it's 1. well...
- type in another cell = - A1^2 --> the results it's 1 again!
- try with = 0 - A1^2 --> the results it's -1 ! hahaha
- =exp( - A1^2) --> the results it's 2.718281828!
wonderful

the bug is the same in 2003-2007-2010 versions.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that I understand your issue. Sorry if I've misunderstood,
but the formula

=-A1^2 (which in your example gives the result 1)

will not give the same result as

=-(A1^2) (which would give -1)

This is by design. See the following page on operator precedence:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/calculation-operators-and-
precedence-HP010078886.aspx

Regards,

Ian
 
ok thanks,
in the operator precedence page there is the explanation.
Anyway I'm sure that for a user is not clear why a "-" has precedence
on ^.
Simply the formula = - A1^2 should mean = - A1*A1.
regards

Asto
 
ok, thanks,
in the operator reference page there is the explanation.
Anyway I'm sure that for a user is not clear why "-" has precedence on
"^".
Simply = - A1^2 should means =- A1*A1.
Regards

Asto
 
Asto said:
Dears,
let me say that something is going wrong:

- put in cell A1 the number 1
- type in another cell =A1^2 --> the results it's 1. well...
- type in another cell = - A1^2 --> the results it's 1 again!
- try with = 0 - A1^2 --> the results it's -1 ! hahaha
- =exp( - A1^2) --> the results it's 2.718281828!
wonderful

the bug is the same in 2003-2007-2010 versions.
Best wishes

Asto
Click to expand...

Asto, this has bothered me too.
VB has the other convention, more familiar to math students.
In Excel the sign operator takes precedence over ^,
but the minus operator does not. Both use - as the operator sign.
0-A1^2 works as expected.
One just has to remember the issue.
Hans T.
 
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