It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Join gamers keeping classics aliveJoin gamers keeping classics alive Become GOG Patron
Community
General discussion (archive)interesting maths problem in Excel(35 posts)solved(35 posts)solved
(35 posts)solved
Pages:
1
2
3
This is my favourite topic
Posted November 28, 2014
avatar
The-Business: Who needs Excel when you can use Mathematica for unusual things.
That is... Beautiful!

I love it when people creatively use software for things it wasn't meant for. Of course, there's a fine line between "creatively" and "stupidly". In a work situation, people stupidly using software for things it wasn't meant for is terribly annoying. I've seen shitloads of helpdesk cases where stupid users have attached screenshots in Word documents, for instance.

But I've also seen many wonderful things done in Excel, and done a few myself.

Once, I made a visual simulation of gravitic (gravitonic?) interaction between planets in Excel. I've also prototyped functionality for a Sudoku app in it.

However, the most impressive thing I've seen done in Excel was a port of the Arcade version of PacMan. All the rows and columns were minimized to the smallest possible size, and each cell acted as a pixel in the game. That was crazy.
Posted December 03, 2014
avatar
Wishbone: In a work situation, people stupidly using software for things it wasn't meant for is terribly annoying. I've seen shitloads of helpdesk cases where stupid users have attached screenshots in Word documents, for instance.
Here is a true definition of stupid..... Microsoft know the world is full of stupid people, so they put allot of effort into making software user friendly then turn around and change everything in the new version so that even smart people have a hard time figuring out, STUPID!
Posted December 03, 2014
avatar
AnonAnom: So "=sumproduct(A1:A5,B1:B5)/sum(A1:A5)"?
avatar
mystikmind2000: Dare i ask how you figured that out?
Excel (and other Office applications related) use two separate sets of methods. One is on singular cells, and one is for groups or arrays. Arrays are easily identified with the Colon, so A1:A5 takes all elements between A1 and A5 as a single block.

If you're working with individual elements you could just do =A1/B1 or something like that, but with arrays you need to cycle over every element. That's what the helper functions are for, the sum/sumproduct.



Other maddness is involved when you start adding the $ to the array/cell names, allowing you to grow the formulas via copy/paste in bulk :P So =sumproduct(A$1$:A$5$,B$1$:B$5$)/sum(A$1$:A$5$) will work too, but has a different meaning if you copy/paste the formula :P
Posted December 03, 2014
avatar
Wishbone: I... think it's just you. At least, in order to use the camera in my phone, I turn on the screen, touch the "Camera" icon, which looks like a camera with the text "Camera" underneath, and hey presto, it opens the camera application.

Of course I don't know which phone you have. For reference, mine is a Samsung Galaxy S2/4 (I have both), and I get the impression that the interface is pretty standard for an Android phone.
avatar
mystikmind2000: Oh geez, imagine that, they put an icon for the camera on the main screen?! I thought camera's were way far too obscure type of thing that hardly anyone would ever want to use...... (sarcasm based on idiot phone manufacturer logic)

My phone is a Nokia.... which model i don't know, it is not written.

Funny thing, my wife always complain i don't know how to use mobiles and yet i can put together a gaming computer. Then one time she tried taking a picture with my phone and couldn't do it! She persisted with determination and after about an hour she finally found it..... hidden down the most illogical rabbit hole of a menue system you could imagine, like i said, camera's are way to obscure an item to put high up in the menue (sarcasm based on idiot phone manufacturer logic).
My mom also has a Windows phone from Nokia, I am having a very hard time figuring out how to do just about anything at all with that phone. Yet she always comes to me for help. Personally I have a Galaxy Note 2 that I am quite happy about.
Posted December 09, 2014
avatar
mystikmind2000: Oh geez, imagine that, they put an icon for the camera on the main screen?! I thought camera's were way far too obscure type of thing that hardly anyone would ever want to use...... (sarcasm based on idiot phone manufacturer logic)

My phone is a Nokia.... which model i don't know, it is not written.

Funny thing, my wife always complain i don't know how to use mobiles and yet i can put together a gaming computer. Then one time she tried taking a picture with my phone and couldn't do it! She persisted with determination and after about an hour she finally found it..... hidden down the most illogical rabbit hole of a menue system you could imagine, like i said, camera's are way to obscure an item to put high up in the menue (sarcasm based on idiot phone manufacturer logic).
avatar
Kristian: My mom also has a Windows phone from Nokia, I am having a very hard time figuring out how to do just about anything at all with that phone. Yet she always comes to me for help. Personally I have a Galaxy Note 2 that I am quite happy about.
Oh well if Microsoft had anything to do with how my phone is programmed, then of course i can understand why it is so completely basted. they would have earlier phones programmed really well and totally user friendly, then created mine/yours at that stage where it is time to change everything around nonsensically.

Microsoft's motto is, when you need something new and cannot improve the old sufficiently to justify it, then make it so confusing no one will be able to tell!
Pages:
1
2
3
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)interesting maths problem in Excel(35 posts)solved(35 posts)solved
(35 posts)solved