WorksheetFunction.MInverse Method

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Excel Developer Reference

Returns the inverse matrix for the matrix stored in an array.

Syntax

expression.MInverse(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
Variant

Remarks

  • The size of the array must not exceed 52 columns by 52 rows. If it does, the function returns a #VALUE! error.

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

  • If any cells in array are empty or contain text, MINVERSE returns the #VALUE! error value.

  • MINVERSE also returns the #VALUE! error value if array does not have an equal number of rows and columns.

  • Formulas that return arrays must be entered as array formulas.

  • Inverse matrices, like determinants, are generally used for solving systems of mathematical equations involving several variables. The product of a matrix and its inverse is the identity matrix — the square array in which the diagonal values equal 1, and all other values equal 0.

  • As an example of how a two-row, two-column matrix is calculated, suppose that the range A1:B2 contains the letters a, b, c, and d that represent any four numbers. The following table shows the inverse of the matrix A1:B2.

    Column A Column B
    Row 1 d/(a*d-b*c) b/(b*c-a*d)
    Row 2 c/(b*c-a*d) a/(a*d-b*c)
  • MINVERSE is calculated with an accuracy of approximately 16 digits, which may lead to a small numeric error when the cancellation is not complete.
  • Some square matrices cannot be inverted and will return the #NUM! error value with MINVERSE. The determinant for a noninvertable matrix is 0.

See Also