Difference between revisions of "Documentation/How Tos/Calc: MODE function"
From Apache OpenOffice Wiki
< Documentation | How Tos
(added array evaluation information) |
m (layout) |
||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
: <tt>'''MODE'''</tt> returns the number that occurs most often, or if more than one number occurs that many times, the smallest such number. If no number occurs more than once, <tt>'''MODE'''</tt> returns an error. | : <tt>'''MODE'''</tt> returns the number that occurs most often, or if more than one number occurs that many times, the smallest such number. If no number occurs more than once, <tt>'''MODE'''</tt> returns an error. | ||
| − | : <tt>'''MODE'''</tt> | + | |
| + | : Advanced topic: <tt>'''MODE'''</tt> evaluates as an [[Documentation/How_Tos/Using_Arrays|array formula]] - see the examples. | ||
=== Example: === | === Example: === | ||
| Line 17: | Line 18: | ||
<tt>'''MODE(3; 7; 3; 9; 9; 3; 5; 1; 8; 5)'''</tt> | <tt>'''MODE(3; 7; 3; 9; 9; 3; 5; 1; 8; 5)'''</tt> | ||
: returns <tt>'''3'''</tt>, the number occuring most often. | : returns <tt>'''3'''</tt>, the number occuring most often. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | Evaluation as an [[Documentation/How_Tos/Using_Arrays|array formula]]: | ||
<tt>'''MODE(ABS({1; 1; 1; 2; 2; -2; -2}))'''</tt> | <tt>'''MODE(ABS({1; 1; 1; 2; 2; -2; -2}))'''</tt> | ||
Revision as of 19:24, 1 May 2008
MODE
Returns the most common value in a data set.
Syntax:
MODE(number1; number2; ... number30)
- number1 to number30 are up to 30 numbers or ranges containing numbers.
- MODE returns the number that occurs most often, or if more than one number occurs that many times, the smallest such number. If no number occurs more than once, MODE returns an error.
- Advanced topic: MODE evaluates as an array formula - see the examples.
Example:
MODE(3; 7; 3; 9; 9; 3; 5; 1; 8; 5)
- returns 3, the number occuring most often.
Evaluation as an array formula:
MODE(ABS({1; 1; 1; 2; 2; -2; -2}))
- returns 2. The ABS function normally takes a single number, but here it is given an array. MODE forces the formula to be an array formula, so that the absolute value of each number in the array is found, and given to MODE as the array {1; 1; 1; 2; 2; 2; 2}. The most common value is now 2.
