MINVERSE

Microsoft Office Excel 2003

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See Also

Returns the inverse matrix for the matrix stored in an array.

Syntax

MINVERSE(array)

Array    is a numeric array with an equal number of rows and columns.

Remarks

  • Array can be given as a cell range, such as A1:C3; as an array constant, such as {1,2,3;4,5,6;7,8,9}; or as a name for either of these.

  • If any cells in array are empty or contain text, MINVERSE returns the #VALUE! error value.

  • MINVERSE also returns the #VALUE! error value if array does not have an equal number of rows and columns.

  • Formulas that return arrays must be entered as array formulas.
  • Inverse matrices, like determinants, are generally used for solving systems of mathematical equations involving several variables. The product of a matrix and its inverse is the identity matrix— the square array in which the diagonal values equal 1, and all other values equal 0.
  • As an example of how a two-row, two-column matrix is calculated, suppose that the range A1:B2 contains the letters a, b, c, and d that represent any four numbers. The following table shows the inverse of the matrix A1:B2.
    Column A Column B
    Row 1 d/(a*d-b*c) b/(b*c-a*d)
    Row 2 c/(b*c-a*d) a/(a*d-b*c)
  • MINVERSE is calculated with an accuracy of approximately 16 digits, which may lead to a small numeric error when the cancellation is not complete.
  • Some square matrices cannot be inverted and will return the #NUM! error value with MINVERSE. The determinant for a noninvertable matrix is 0.

Example 1

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

Show How?

  1. Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
  2. Select the example in the Help topic. Do not select the row or column headers.

    Selecting an example from Help

    Selecting an example from Help

  3. Press CTRL+C.
  4. In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
  5. To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Formula Auditing Mode.
 
1
2
3
A B
Data Data
4 -1
2 0
Formula Formula
=MINVERSE(A2:B3)

Note  The formula in the example must be entered as an array formula. After copying the example to a blank worksheet, select the range A5:B6 starting with the formula cell. Press F2, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. If the formula is not entered as an array formula, the single result is 0.

Example 2

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

Show How?

  1. Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
  2. Select the example in the Help topic. Do not select the row or column headers.

    Selecting an example from Help

    Selecting an example from Help

  3. Press CTRL+C.
  4. In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
  5. To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Formula Auditing Mode.
 
1
2
3
4
A B C
Data Data Data
1 2 1
3 4 -1
0 2 0
Formula Formula Formula
=MINVERSE(A2:C4)

Note  The formula in the example must be entered as an array formula. After copying the example to a blank worksheet, select the range A6:C8 starting with the formula cell. Press F2, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. If the formula is not entered as an array formula, the single result is 0.25.

ShowTip

Use the INDEX function to access individual elements from the inverse matrix.

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