Check out Rob Collie's Raw Data podcast: Raw Data Podcast - P3
Today, I ran across an unanswered question in a Math board. No one really needs to know this answer. It is a high school math teacher trying to trick people into doing algebra. ALGEBRA? We don't need algebra when we have Excel and Goal Seek.
Today, I ran across an unanswered question in a Math board. No one really needs to know this answer. It is a high school math teacher trying to trick people into doing algebra. ALGEBRA? We don't need algebra when we have Excel and Goal Seek.
Transcript of the video:
Learn Excel from MrExcel Podcast episode 2383.
Goal Seek instead of Algebra.
Hey, I have to introduce you to a great new audio podcast called Raw Data. Is it from Rob Collie at Power Pivot Pro.
They are long episodes.
I've been listening to this episode from November 2020 with Doctor Wayne Winston.
And I'm not just calling this out because Wayne said some nice things about me. But, about 45 minutes in, Rob has this quote.
[ Rob Collie ] About high school math, I was like an apex predator of the high school math scene.
There was always this refrain of “Like, when are we ever going to use this in real life?” I basically do math for a living and I don't use any of that.
[ Bill Jelen ] And it reminded me of a question that came up just this week.
Alot of times in the morning, the first thing I do is I go look at various message boards to try and answer a question.
I'm of course on the Excel boards, but somehow I've gotten sucked into a math board and these questions just annoy me.
No one really has this problem. “The sum of three numbers is 70.
The first number is 5 more than the second. The third number is 3 times the second.
What are the numbers?
This is some high school math professor trying to get us to do algebra. I'm not going to do Algebra.
Alright, so over there in A2, we are just going to put a number. Some temporary number.
And then we know the first number is 5 more than the second.
The second number is this minus five.
The third number is equal to 3 times the second number And then a SUM here.
I need that whole thing to add up to 70.
I could do the algebra. I know how to do the algebra.
But: Data, What If Analysis, Goal Seek. Sets D2 to 70 by changing our input cell.
And BAM, 18, 13 and 39. Now just to prove it to you.
After I did the Goal Seek, I went through and did the algebra.
And then online, some guy did the algebra slightly faster than I did.
Either way, it's insane to do the algebra when we have Goal Seek.
A great great way to go. Check out Rob’s podcasts.
I'll put the link down in my video description. I hope to be on that podcast someday.
Just a great discussion about data.
If you like my podcast, please down below, click, Like, Subscribe, and Ring that Bell.
Feel free to post any questions or comments down in the comments below.
My book MrExcel 2020 Seeing Excel Clearly. Click the “I” in the top right hand corner.
I want to thank you for stopping by and we'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
Goal Seek instead of Algebra.
Hey, I have to introduce you to a great new audio podcast called Raw Data. Is it from Rob Collie at Power Pivot Pro.
They are long episodes.
I've been listening to this episode from November 2020 with Doctor Wayne Winston.
And I'm not just calling this out because Wayne said some nice things about me. But, about 45 minutes in, Rob has this quote.
[ Rob Collie ] About high school math, I was like an apex predator of the high school math scene.
There was always this refrain of “Like, when are we ever going to use this in real life?” I basically do math for a living and I don't use any of that.
[ Bill Jelen ] And it reminded me of a question that came up just this week.
Alot of times in the morning, the first thing I do is I go look at various message boards to try and answer a question.
I'm of course on the Excel boards, but somehow I've gotten sucked into a math board and these questions just annoy me.
No one really has this problem. “The sum of three numbers is 70.
The first number is 5 more than the second. The third number is 3 times the second.
What are the numbers?
This is some high school math professor trying to get us to do algebra. I'm not going to do Algebra.
Alright, so over there in A2, we are just going to put a number. Some temporary number.
And then we know the first number is 5 more than the second.
The second number is this minus five.
The third number is equal to 3 times the second number And then a SUM here.
I need that whole thing to add up to 70.
I could do the algebra. I know how to do the algebra.
But: Data, What If Analysis, Goal Seek. Sets D2 to 70 by changing our input cell.
And BAM, 18, 13 and 39. Now just to prove it to you.
After I did the Goal Seek, I went through and did the algebra.
And then online, some guy did the algebra slightly faster than I did.
Either way, it's insane to do the algebra when we have Goal Seek.
A great great way to go. Check out Rob’s podcasts.
I'll put the link down in my video description. I hope to be on that podcast someday.
Just a great discussion about data.
If you like my podcast, please down below, click, Like, Subscribe, and Ring that Bell.
Feel free to post any questions or comments down in the comments below.
My book MrExcel 2020 Seeing Excel Clearly. Click the “I” in the top right hand corner.
I want to thank you for stopping by and we'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
