Excel formula divide list of #s by N to get a number above 40

J

JudyK

I have a list of numbers. I need to divide each of those numbers by the same
number ("N") that will give me a resulting list in which all of the numbers
are at least 40 or above. Is there a formula that will find such a number?
 
A

Arvi Laanemets

Hi

=MAX(40,A1/N)

Arvi Laanemets


JudyK said:
I have a list of numbers. I need to divide each of those numbers by the same
number ("N") that will give me a resulting list in which all of the numbers
are at least 40 or above. Is there a formula that will find such a
Click to expand...
number?
 
M

Myrna Larson

I am assuming yor list is in A1:A100, and all of the numbers are greater than
0. If we take smallest value in that range and divide it by N, choosing N so
that the result is = 40, then by definition all larger numbers, when divided
by N, will give a result > 40.

In other words, you want to start with this equation

MIN(A1:A100)/N = 40

and solve it for the value of N:

N = MIN(A1:A100)/40

So you want to divide by MIN(A1:A100)/40, i.e.

=A1/(MIN(A1:A20)/40)

PS: This problem has no solution if the list contains both positive and
negative numbers: a negative number would have to be divided by a negative
number to get a result >= +40, whereas positive numbers have to be divided by
a positive number.
 
M

Myrna Larson

Hi, Arvi:

If I understand correctly, all numbers in the list are to be divided by N. She
needs to determine the value of N. I don't think your formula will do that,
will it? N is a variable in your equation.
 
A

Arvi Laanemets

Hi

OP can replace N with any value, or formula, or cell reference! Formulas can
depend on data type, but never on their orign . :)
 
J

joeu2004

Myrna Larson said:
If I understand correctly, all numbers in the list are to
be divided by N. She needs to determine the value of N.
I don't think your formula will do that
Click to expand...

Arvi said:
OP can replace N with any value, or formula, or cell
reference!
Click to expand...

I would agree that Judy's question was very difficult
to understand. But I think Myrna got it right.

Judy wrote: "Is there a formula that will find such a
number?"

What number? Judy wrote: "I have a list of numbers.
I need to divide each of those numbers by the same
number ("N") that will give me a resulting list in
which all of the numbers are at least 40 or above."

Translation: Judy wants to find an N such that when
each number in a list is divided by N, the result of
the division will be no less than 40.

Myrna's formula will do just that. It is very elegant
and very obvious at the same time.

Arvi's formula does force the result to be no less than
40. But that does not seem to be what Judy asked for.

Of course, Judy might have simply misstated the problem
she is trying to solve.
 
A

Arvi Laanemets

Hi


What number? Judy wrote: "I have a list of numbers.
I need to divide each of those numbers by the same
number ("N") that will give me a resulting list in
which all of the numbers are at least 40 or above."

Translation: Judy wants to find an N such that when
each number in a list is divided by N, the result of
the division will be no less than 40.
Click to expand...

My translation: Judy wants to create a new list of numbers, where every
value is N times less than previous one, but not less than 40, i.e. when
N=10 and old value was 800, then the new one will be 80, when old value was
400, the new value is 40, but when old value is p.e. 100, then the new value
will be 40 again.
Of-course OP has to copy mu formula to range (down the column).
 
M

Myrna Larson

Yes, but the question is HOW TO CALCULATE N. What is the "value, or formula or
cell reference" supposed to be?
 
M

Myrna Larson

I think your translation is faulty.

She said "I need to divide each of those numbers by the same number". I don't
see any ambiguity in that statement. N is a constant. Every number in the new
list

=OriginalNumber/N

That's not what you are doing. You are dividing 800 by 10, and 400 by 10, but
you are dividing 100 by 2.5. N is 10 in the 1st 2 cases, 2.5 in the 3rd.

10 <> 2.5

That's not what she said she wanted.

BTW, the formula I proposed for calculating N gives the SMALLEST possible
value of N. Any number, x, where 0 < x <=N will also suffice.
 
A

Arvi Laanemets

Hi

For OP, as follows from message, N is some constant, the value of which she
didn't share with us


Arvi Laanemets


Myrna Larson said:
Yes, but the question is HOW TO CALCULATE N. What is the "value, or formula or
cell reference" supposed to be?
Click to expand...
 
A

Arvi Laanemets

Hi

"...that will give me a resulting list in which all of the numbers are at
least 40 or above."
So as I understood, she wants a list of different values. It isn't clear
from OP's message, how much different values in list will be - but it isn't
excluded, than for every original value a matching calculated value must be
given. Exactly what my formula does, in my opinion.

But really, the original message was somewhat messy, and allows different
interpretations - depending on which part of it you are concentrated (and
I'm afraid our 2 ones from this thread aren't all of them). I'm not saying
your answer is wrong, but we can't be sure, which one (when any of them) is,
what OP wanted, and there is no way to know it without her reporting back.

Arvi Laanemets


Myrna Larson said:
I think your translation is faulty.

She said "I need to divide each of those numbers by the same number". I don't
see any ambiguity in that statement. N is a constant. Every number in the new
list

=OriginalNumber/N

That's not what you are doing. You are dividing 800 by 10, and 400 by 10, but
you are dividing 100 by 2.5. N is 10 in the 1st 2 cases, 2.5 in the 3rd.
Click to expand...

No! I'm dividing all numbers with 10, but when the result is less than 40
(another constant), a constant 40 is returned instead of quotient

10 <> 2.5

That's not what she said she wanted.

BTW, the formula I proposed for calculating N gives the SMALLEST possible
value of N. Any number, x, where 0 < x <=N will also suffice.
Click to expand...
 
M

Myrna Larson

NO! She asked us how to calculate the value of N.

N is some number. By definition, it is a number that, if you use it to divide
each of a list of existing numbers, the result will be >=40.

I think you are misreading the OP's message.


Hi

For OP, as follows from message, N is some constant, the value of which she
didn't share with us


Arvi Laanemets
Click to expand...
 
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