how to minimize rounding error with complicated formulas
 

(I'm running Excel for Mac 2004.)

I have a series of three functions, each of which is calculated separately
in its own cell. Then, in a fourth cell, I calculate the product of those
three cells. I'll call this the "building block approach".

I've tried to replicate that with a single calculation, "one-stop shopping",
as it were. However, the new answer differs very slightly from the old one.

The calculations involved are (in addition to the addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division) are TINV and SQRT.

I'm wondering which method is giving me the more accurate answer, the
"building block" or the "one-stop shopping" method. I assume this is due to
rounding error. Any idea which of these two methods is more or less likely to
cause this problem.

(BTW, "Precision as Displayed" is NOT checked in Preferences.)

Thanks for any help.

how to minimize rounding error with complicated formulas
 

Hard to say unless you give the exact formulas.

Jerry

"Erick T." wrote:

(I'm running Excel for Mac 2004.)

I have a series of three functions, each of which is calculated separately
in its own cell. Then, in a fourth cell, I calculate the product of those
three cells. I'll call this the "building block approach".

I've tried to replicate that with a single calculation, "one-stop shopping",
as it were. However, the new answer differs very slightly from the old one.

The calculations involved are (in addition to the addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division) are TINV and SQRT.

I'm wondering which method is giving me the more accurate answer, the
"building block" or the "one-stop shopping" method. I assume this is due to
rounding error. Any idea which of these two methods is more or less likely to
cause this problem.

(BTW, "Precision as Displayed" is NOT checked in Preferences.)

Thanks for any help.