LOGEST Returns #NUM! if Y Values Are Negative or Zero

ID: Q60549

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
Microsoft Excel for OS/2 versions 2.2, 2.21, and 3.0

Microsoft Excel returns a value of #NUM! in the LOGEST function if any known_y has a negative value or is equal to 0 (zero).

Logarithmic functions require values greater than 0, due to the mathematical calculations involved. This is not a problem with Microsoft Excel because it is mathematically impossible to calculate the LOG of values that are less than or equal to zero.

Additional query words: 2.00 2.0 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.21 2.20 3.0 4.0


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Last Reviewed: March 16, 1999