WorksheetFunction.MDeterm Method

  • Article
Excel Developer Reference

Returns the matrix determinant of an array.

Syntax

expression.MDeterm(Arg1)

expression   A variable that represents a WorksheetFunction object.

Parameters

Name Required/Optional Data Type Description
Arg1 Required Variant Array - a numeric array with an equal number of rows and columns.

Return Value
Double

Remarks

  • Array can be given as a cell range, for example, A1:C3; as an array constant, such as {1,2,3;4,5,6;7,8,9}; or as a name to either of these.

  • MDTERM returns the #VALUE! error when:

    • Any cells in array are empty or contain text.
    • Array does not have an equal number of rows and columns.
    • The size of array exceeds 73 columns by 73 rows.

  • The matrix determinant is a number derived from the values in array. For a three-row, three-column array, A1:C3, the determinant is defined as:

    Visual Basic for Applications 
    

    MDETERM(A1:C3)

    equals
    Visual Basic for Applications 
      A1*(B2*C3-B3*C2) + A2*(B3*C1-B1*C3) + A3*(B1*C2-B2*C1)

    • Matrix determinants are generally used for solving systems of mathematical equations that involve several variables.

    • MDETERM is calculated with an accuracy of approximately 16 digits, which may lead to a small numeric error when the calculation is not complete. For example, the determinant of a singular matrix may differ from zero by 1E-16.

    See Also