GAMMA Function in Microsoft Excel
Part 1: Introduction
Definition
The GAMMA function in Excel returns the gamma function value of a number.
Purpose
The GAMMA function’s purpose is to calculate a number’s gamma function. It’s often used in mathematics and engineering fields.
Syntax & Arguments
The syntax for the GAMMA function is as follows:
GAMMA(number) In this function, the argument is:
- Number: This is a required argument. It should be the number you want to calculate the gamma function.
Return Value
The GAMMA function returns the gamma function value of the number provided.
Remarks
The GAMMA function uses the following equation:
Г(N+1) = N * Г(N) GAMMA returns the error value if the number is a negative integer or 0. If the number contains characters that are not valid, GAMMA returns the #VALUE! error value.
Part 2: Examples
Now, let’s look at some examples of how to use the GAMMA function in a business context.
Example 1
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of products sold.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Products Sold | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(A2) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(A3) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(A4) | 3.323 |
In this example, we calculate the gamma function of the number of products sold. The formula =GAMMA(A2) is used to calculate the gamma function of the number in cell A2, and so on.
Example 2
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of clients.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clients | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(A2) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(A3) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(A4) | 3.323 |
In this example, we’re calculating the gamma function of the number of clients. The formula =GAMMA(A2) is used to calculate the gamma function of the number in cell A2, and so on.
Example 3
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of orders.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orders | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(A2) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(A3) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(A4) | 3.323 |
In this example, we’re calculating the gamma function of the number of orders. The formula =GAMMA(A2) is used to calculate the gamma function of the number in cell A2, and so on.
Example 4
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of units produced.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Units Produced | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(A2) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(A3) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(A4) | 3.323 |
In this example, we calculate the gamma function of the number of units produced. The formula =GAMMA(A2) is used to calculate the gamma function of the number in cell A2, and so on.
Example 5
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of deliveries.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deliveries | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(A2) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(A3) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(A4) | 3.323 |
In this example, we calculate the gamma function of the number of deliveries. The formula =GAMMA(A2) is used to calculate the gamma function of the number in cell A2, and so on.
Example 6
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of products sold, but only if the number exceeds 2.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Products Sold | Formula | Result | Check |
| 2 | 2.5 | =IF(A2>2, GAMMA(A2), “N/A”) | 1.329 | Pass |
| 3 | 1.5 | =IF(A3>2, GAMMA(A3), “N/A”) | N/A | Fail |
| 4 | 3.5 | =IF(A4>2, GAMMA(A4), “N/A”) | 2.324 | Pass |
In this example, we use the IF function to check if the number of products sold exceeds 2. If it is, we calculate the gamma function of that number. If it’s not, we return “N/A”.
Example 7
Purpose: To calculate the sum of the gamma function values of the number of clients.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clients | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(A2) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(A3) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(A4) | 3.323 |
| 5 | Sum | =SUM(C2:C4) | 6.976 |
In this example, we’re calculating the gamma function of the number of clients and then summing those values using the SUM function.
Example 8
Purpose: To look up the number of orders in a table and calculate the gamma function of that number.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orders | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =GAMMA(VLOOKUP(A2, A2:C4, 1, FALSE)) | 1.329 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =GAMMA(VLOOKUP(A3, A2:C4, 1, FALSE)) | 2.324 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =GAMMA(VLOOKUP(A4, A2:C4, 1, FALSE)) | 3.323 |
In this example, we’re using the VLOOKUP function to find the number of orders in a table, and then we’re calculating the gamma function of that number.
Example 9
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of units produced, but only if the number is not an error.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Units Produced | Formula | Result | Check |
| 2 | 2.5 | =IF(ISERROR(GAMMA(A2)), “Error”, GAMMA(A2)) | 1.329 | Pass |
| 3 | 0 | =IF(ISERROR(GAMMA(A3)), “Error”, GAMMA(A3)) | Error | Fail |
| 4 | 4.5 | =IF(ISERROR(GAMMA(A4)), “Error”, GAMMA(A4)) | 3.323 | Pass |
In this example, we’re using the ISERROR function to check if the gamma function of the number of units produced is an error. If it is, we return “Error”. If it’s not, we calculate the gamma function.
Example 10
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of deliveries and round the result to the nearest whole number.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deliveries | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =ROUND(GAMMA(A2), 0) | 1 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =ROUND(GAMMA(A3), 0) | 2 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =ROUND(GAMMA(A4), 0) | 3 |
In this example, we’re calculating the gamma function of the number of deliveries and then rounding the result to the nearest whole number using the ROUND function.
Example 11
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of products sold and return the absolute value of the result.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Products Sold | Formula | Result |
| 2 | -2.5 | =ABS(GAMMA(A2)) | 0.945 |
| 3 | -3.5 | =ABS(GAMMA(A3)) | 2.363 |
| 4 | -4.5 | =ABS(GAMMA(A4)) | 0.945 |
In this example, we calculate the gamma function of the number of products sold and then return the result’s absolute value using the ABS function.
Example 12
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of clients and return the integer part of the result.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clients | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =INT(GAMMA(A2)) | 1 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =INT(GAMMA(A3)) | 2 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =INT(GAMMA(A4)) | 3 |
In this example, we calculate the gamma function of the number of clients and then return the integer part of the result using the INT function.
Example 13
Purpose: To calculate the gamma function of the number of orders and return the result raised to the power of 2.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orders | Formula | Result |
| 2 | 2.5 | =POWER(GAMMA(A2), 2) | 1.768 |
| 3 | 3.5 | =POWER(GAMMA(A3), 2) | 5.398 |
| 4 | 4.5 | =POWER(GAMMA(A4), 2) | 11.043 |
In this example, we calculate the gamma function of the number of orders and then raise the result to the power of 2 using the POWER function.
Part 3: Tips and Tricks
- Remember that the GAMMA function will return an error if the number is a negative integer or 0.
- The GAMMA function can be used with other functions to perform more complex calculations.
- Always check your data to ensure it’s valid before using the GAMMA function to avoid errors.