Microsoft KB Archive/65789

Using MMULT to Multiply by a 1 by 1 Matrix PSS ID Number: Q65789 Article last modified on 02-26-1993 PSS database name: W_eXceL

2.10 2.10c 2.10d 3.00 | 2.20 2.21

WINDOWS | OS/2

Summary:

The following problem occured in versions 2.1x of Windows Excel, and versions 2.2x in PM Excel. The problem has been fixed for version 3.00 of Windows Excel.

If you attempt to use MMULT to multiply any 1 by n or n by 1 matrix (where n is the number of columns or rows, respectively) with a 1 by 1 (a constant) matrix, MMULT will return #VALUE!. The following is an illustration of the problem and a workaround:

        A      B             C

1: 12 2 =MMULT(A1:A3,B1) 2: 11 =MMULT(A1:A3,B1) 3: 10 =MMULT(A1:A3,B1)

Cells C1:C3 are entered as an array (CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER with the range C1:C3 selected) and will return #VALUE!.

To get around this, modify the above MMULT formula to read as follows:

  =MMULT(A1:A3,{2})

For example, you may do something like the following:

          A               B

  1:      12      =MMULT(A1:A3,{2})
  2:      11      =MMULT(A1:A3,{2})
  3:      10      =MMULT(A1:A3,{2})

Cells B1:B3 are entered as an array and will return 24, 22, and 20 respectively.