WorksheetFunction.Trend Method

Returns values along a linear trend. Fits a straight line (using the method of least squares) to the arrays known_y's and known_x's. Returns the y-values along that line for the array of new_x's that you specify.

Namespace:  Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
Assembly:  Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel (in Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.dll)

Syntax

'Declaration
Function Trend ( _
    Arg1 As Object, _
    Arg2 As Object, _
    Arg3 As Object, _
    Arg4 As Object _
) As Object
'Usage
Dim instance As WorksheetFunction
Dim Arg1 As Object
Dim Arg2 As Object
Dim Arg3 As Object
Dim Arg4 As Object
Dim returnValue As Object

returnValue = instance.Trend(Arg1, Arg2, _
    Arg3, Arg4)
Object Trend(
    Object Arg1,
    Object Arg2,
    Object Arg3,
    Object Arg4
)

Parameters

  • Arg1
    Type: System.Object

    Known_y's - the set of y-values you already know in the relationship y = mx + b.

  • Arg2
    Type: System.Object

    Known_x's - an optional set of x-values that you may already know in the relationship y = mx + b.

  • Arg3
    Type: System.Object

    New_x's - new x-values for which you want TREND to return corresponding y-values.

  • Arg4
    Type: System.Object

    Const - a logical value specifying whether to force the constant b to equal 0.

Return Value

Type: System.Object

Remarks

If the array known_y's is in a single column, then each column of known_x's is interpreted as a separate variable.

If the array known_y's is in a single row, then each row of known_x's is interpreted as a separate variable.

The array known_x's can include one or more sets of variables. If only one variable is used, known_y's and known_x's can be ranges of any shape, as long as they have equal dimensions. If more than one variable is used, known_y's must be a vector (that is, a range with a height of one row or a width of one column).

If known_x's is omitted, it is assumed to be the array {1,2,3,...} that is the same size as known_y's.

New_x's must include a column (or row) for each independent variable, just as known_x's does. So, if known_y's is in a single column, known_x's and new_x's must have the same number of columns. If known_y's is in a single row, known_x's and new_x's must have the same number of rows.

If you omit new_x's, it is assumed to be the same as known_x's.

If you omit both known_x's and new_x's, they are assumed to be the array {1,2,3,...} that is the same size as known_y's.

If const is true or omitted, b is calculated normally.

If const is false, b is set equal to 0 (zero), and the m-values are adjusted so that y = mx.

For information about how Microsoft Excel fits a line to data, see LinEst(Object, Object, Object, Object).

You can use Trend for polynomial curve fitting by regressing against the same variable raised to different powers. For example, suppose column A contains y-values and column B contains x-values. You can enter x^2 in column C, x^3 in column D, and so on, and then regress columns B through D against column A.

Formulas that return arrays must be entered as array formulas.

When entering an array constant for an argument such as known_x's, use commas to separate values in the same row and semicolons to separate rows.

See Also

Reference

WorksheetFunction Interface

WorksheetFunction Members

Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel Namespace