Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Gunthr on July 08, 2003, 08:53:50 AM
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What is the change, expressed as a percent, going from 3 to zero?
Please explain why.
Also, what is the change going from zero to 3 expressed as a percent, and why?
I'm trying to explain why going from 3 murders in 2002 to zero murders in 2003 is being spit out by the excel program as a (-100%) change.
Yet going the other way from zero to 3 is a (+300% change)
If this is correct, how do I explain this?
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I'm trying to explain why going from 3 murders in 2002 to zero murders in 2003 is being spit out by the excel program as a (-100%) change.
This makes sense, 100% of the annual murders stopped.
Yet going the other way from zero to 3 is a (+300% change)
This doesn't make sense, using zero as a starting point you get infinity. Excel probably substitutes one for zero, like the AH K/D calculation.
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im not a math major. however basic math suggests:
going from 3 to 0 is -100% because 100% of 3 is 3, and -100% would mean deducting all of it so you get 0. Same is true for any number to 0 (99129192129 to 0 is still -100%)
yet 0 to 3 is NOT 300%. I don't see how you compute it. The way to compute change is (x-y)/x which is what you used for computing 3 to 0.
if you apply that formula to 0 to 3, it is incomputable since you cannot divide a number by 0. Answer would be: change from 0 to 3 cannot be expressed in %.
messing with zeros and 1s always play tricks on ya ;)
if it is indeed possible to express 0 to 3 in % I would love for someone to explain how.
regards
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Originally posted by ra
........ Excel probably substitutes one for zero, like the AH K/D calculation.
1 to 3 is 200% so I dont think excel substitues 1 for 0. It should give an error. Gonna check and make sure tho..
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Originally posted by zonta123
1 to 3 is 200% so I dont think excel substitues 1 for 0. It should give an error. Gonna check and make sure tho..
I didn't say it was right, but that's probably what happens:
(x - y) / x --> (3 - 0) / 0 becomes (3 - 0) / 1 = 300%
If the change was from 3 to 1 it would be (3 - 1) / 1 = 200%
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Originally posted by zonta123
messing with zeros and 1s always play tricks on ya ;)
Quote from "Bill Gates - The Early Days":D
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From Ask Jeeves
Calculators have the following method for figuring percent change hard wired into them:
"Divide the change by the starting value, and multiply the resulting fraction by 100."
So, for a change of 3 to zero expressed as a percent:
Change = 3
Starting value = 3
3 divided by 3 = 1
1 x 100 = 100
= (minus 100 % change)
So that explains why excel spits out (-100%)
HOWEVER, if my excel program is using that method, as far as I can tell, the change from 0 to 3 expressed as a percent would be:
Change = 3
Starting value = zero
3 divided by zero = 3/0
3/0 = zero !!!!
But excel shows (+ 300%) change going from zero to 3 when I use the above method. I'm confused. Did I do something wrong?
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I plugged that into Excel and got this:
3 0 100.00%
0 3 0.00%
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Thats interesting, MT. Those numbers make sense, but differ from what I get from my Excel program.
Now I'm wondering, not being very familure with Excel, is it possible that someone plugged in parameters or a certain formula into MY Excel program that would give me:
0 3 300% ??? - because that is what I get (300%) percent change going from zero to 3 in my excel program...
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What is the formula in the cell showing 300%?
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I'm away from the office now... will check a little later...
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MT, I didn't know what you meant by "formula for that cell" but I got somebody to show me. The formula for that cell is:
=IF (D10>0,((C10/D10)-1)*1,C10*1)
It's obvious that that is why I get a 300% change going from zero incidents to 3 incidents, while you get zero % change..
Boy I'll be glad when the secretary gets back from vacation - she knows about all this stuff. Thanks for the tip... gave me a chance to look smart in front of my boss :p
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Originally posted by Gunthr
[B The formula for that cell is: =IF (D10>0,((C10/D10)-1)*1,C10*1)
[/B]
STOP IT! You are making my brain smoke! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGG GGGGGGG!:eek:
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Originally posted by Gunthr
MT, I didn't know what you meant by "formula for that cell" but I got somebody to show me. The formula for that cell is:
=IF (D10>0,((C10/D10)-1)*1,C10*1)
It's obvious that that is why I get a 300% change going from zero incidents to 3 incidents, while you get zero % change..
Boy I'll be glad when the secretary gets back from vacation - she knows about all this stuff. Thanks for the tip... gave me a chance to look smart in front of my boss :p
NP bud.
(If the value of 3 is in cell C10 then the cell will return '3' as the result and since the cell is formatted as a percentage it will look like 300%)
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NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDS :)
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The level of nerditity (a measure of nerditude) can be calculated through the use of differential equations and set theory.
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I bet Gray Davis would know...