An array-entered formula takes a multi-cell range and iterates through that
range cell by cell. My guess is this is not how Excel was originally
constructed to work, so to allow for this added functionality, the
developers constructed an alternate input method so that the internal parser
would know whether to try calculating the functions inside a formula
directly (and failing for syntax when it hit the multi-cell range) or to use
its iterating code to perform the calculation. This allows existing
functions to be used in both modes (although not all functions can be forced
to do so).

Rick


"RAD" wrote in message
...
That works great. Why do some formulas have to be commited with
Ctrl+Shift+Enter?
Thanks for the help.

"Rick Rothstein (MVP - VB)" wrote:

This array-entered** formula should replace it...

=MAX(I2:I27+J2:J27)

** Commit the formula by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of just
pressing
Enter. Doing this will place curly brackets {} around the formula... do
not
try to shortcut the process by typing them in yourself... that will not
work. If you ever edit the formula, you must remember to commit it using
Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

Rick


"RAD" wrote in message
...
Is there a more streamlined way to calculate this?
=MAX(SUM(I2,J2),SUM(I3,J3),SUM(I4,J4),SUM(I5,J5),S UM(I6,J6),SUM(I7,J7),SUM(I8,J18),SUM(I9,J9),SUM(I1 0,J10),SUM(I11,J11),SUM(I12,J12),SUM(I13,J13),SUM( I14,J14),SUM(I15,J15),SUM(I16,J16),SUM(I17,J17),SU M(I18,J18),SUM(I19,J19),SUM(I20,J20),SUM(I21,J21), SUM(I22,J22),SUM(I23,J23),SUM(I24,J24),SUM(I25,J25 ),SUM(I26,J26),SUM(I27,J27))
This =MAX(SUM(I2,J2),SUM(I27,27)) only finds the max of I2+J2 and
I27+J27
This =MAX(SUM(I2:J2):SUM(I27:J27)) returns a formula error.