Excel: Matrix formula - how to use it

Matrix formulas sound very complex at first, but in practice they are easy to understand and in many situations make it easier to calculate several contents at once. Matrix formulas can also be applied and graphically displayed in Excel.

Excel: How to create a matrix

Matrices are created as soon as several individual calculations with different approaches are to be performed simultaneously. A matrix formula helps you do this.

1. To apply a proper matrix formula, you first need the appropriate matrices.
2. This is simply a table with already specified values and contents.
3. For this example, create a table that holds a price in the left column and a sold quantity on the right.
4. Fill the table with several entries.

How to use a matrix formula to calculate

1. Now it's time to calculate the total sales of all individual items and their sales figures.
2. So that you now do not have to use a formula for each entry individually and finally calculate them together, you can use a matrix formula.
3. Click in any cell and now enter the following: =SUM(A1:A4*B1:B4). Tauschen Sie dabei die angegebenen Zellen mit den entsprechenden Zellen Ihrer Tabelle aus.
4. Wenden Sie die Formel an, indem Sie in der Zelle mit der Tastenkombination [STRG] + [SHIFT] + [ENTER] bestätigen.
5. Der letzte Schritt ist notwendig, da Excel Matrixformeln nicht immer direkt erkennt.