I'm trying to use Excel to work out some targets and I know I want a 4%
reduction over the year- i.e. I had 100 last year and want 96 this year, so
how do I work out how many I need to record in each financial quarter to make
that happen? It wouldn't be one per quarter because that would give me a
'flat-line' target and not a decreasing trajectory. Apparently there's a
formula, possibly something to do with integration and working out the area
under a curve? Can anyone help??!

All is revealed at:
http://people.stfx.ca/bliengme/Excel...UnderCurve.htm
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"Penfold1981" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to use Excel to work out some targets and I know I want a 4%
reduction over the year- i.e. I had 100 last year and want 96 this year,
so
how do I work out how many I need to record in each financial quarter to
make
that happen? It wouldn't be one per quarter because that would give me a
'flat-line' target and not a decreasing trajectory. Apparently there's a
formula, possibly something to do with integration and working out the
area
under a curve? Can anyone help??!

If you've got 100 in A1, and you want to reduce to 96 over 4 quarters, try
=A1*(1-4%)^(1/4) and copy down.
I'm not sure of the relevance of your "area under a curve"?
--
David Biddulph

"Penfold1981" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to use Excel to work out some targets and I know I want a 4%
reduction over the year- i.e. I had 100 last year and want 96 this year,
so
how do I work out how many I need to record in each financial quarter to
make
that happen? It wouldn't be one per quarter because that would give me a
'flat-line' target and not a decreasing trajectory. Apparently there's a
formula, possibly something to do with integration and working out the
area
under a curve? Can anyone help??!

Hi. Just to add. The rate % you want to use is:
=RATE(4,,-100,96)

The value at Q1 is:
=FV(rate,1,,-100)
$98.98
....

And your 4th Q
=FV(rate,4,,-100)
$96.00

--
HTH :)
Dana DeLouis
Windows XP & Excel 2007


"Penfold1981" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to use Excel to work out some targets and I know I want a 4%
reduction over the year- i.e. I had 100 last year and want 96 this year,
so
how do I work out how many I need to record in each financial quarter to
make
that happen? It wouldn't be one per quarter because that would give me a
'flat-line' target and not a decreasing trajectory. Apparently there's a
formula, possibly something to do with integration and working out the
area
under a curve? Can anyone help??!