Re: Algebra puzzle (for all you ms Excel experts)

On Sun, 6 Apr 2008 20:37:20 -0400, "Greg Neill"
<gneillREM@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>"****p" <****phen@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>news:aef28614-0494-4cf3-a5f7-15273557f1db@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 
>> Hi
>> 
>> I have a mathematical puzzle that I cant solve.
>> 
>> 
>> In the table below, the inputs are the values in columns "A" and "B
>> and the desired output is column "C".
>> 
>> 
>>    A        B       C
>> 
>> 
>>   -3       -3       0
>>   -3       +3      -6
>>   +3       -3       0
>>   +3       +3      +6
>>    0        0       0
>> 
>> 
>> What on earth is the formula in Microsoft Excel that creates "C"?
>> 
>> 
>> With thanks
>> 
>> 
>> ****p
>> ****perton Henethe
>> 
>> 
>> Clue:
>> If you strip the sign off "A" and then add "A" and "B" together
>> and then apply the sign afterwards, you get the correct
>> answer. But how the heck do you do this in m***cel ?
>> And/or isnt there a better way of doing the mathematics ? (!)
>
>=SIGN(A1)*(ABS(A1)+B1)
>
Fails if a1 is 0.


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