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Arvi Laanemets Arvi Laanemets is offline
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Default Excel 2003 SP2 computes the power of a negative number wrong.

Hi

Even when you refuse acknowledge sign and power as separate operators, you
can deduce them only to multiplying operator. So when you have an equation
=-A1^4, then you have a sequence of multiplying class operators, which are
all same weigth and are processed in order from left to right. In formula
=1-A1^4 you have a substraction operator ad an operator of multiplying
class, the later is processed first. It looks like you missed some lessons
in elemantary school math :-))))


--
Arvi Laanemets
( My real mail address: arvi.laanemets<attarkon.ee )



"Giovanni Ciriani" wrote in
message ...
Then let me ask you a question. Why should -A1^4-1 evaluate to a different
number than 1-A4^4 ? (-255 vs 257 for A1 equal to -4).

This striking difference goes counter the rule of commutativity additions
established several centuries ago (if not millenia): the order of the
number
being added should not change the result of an addition.

"Arvi Laanemets" wrote:

Hi

Rewrite the equation as
=((-1)*(-4))*((-1)*(-4))*((-1)*(-4))*((-1)*(-4))

What do you get as result?

Maybe you wanted
=-(A1^4)


Arvi Laanemets


"Giovanni Ciriani" <Giovanni wrote in
message ...
A1 contains -4.
B1 contains the expression -A1^4
The result is supposed to be -256, but instead it is 256.

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