Why am I getting #NUM error in Excel when trying to input:
=((171757/-201011)^(1/4))-1
It works fine on Wolfram Alpha..
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asked Jul 10 '15 at 2:02
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You need to use imaginary number functions for your equation. Excel expects real numbers for its operations; so it returns #NUM when an imaginary number is created and you didn't specify an imaginary number function.
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@fixer1234 I don't have Excel at home, so I don't know what the functions are. Maybe you could post them and I'll remove my post. – LDC3 Jul 10 '15 at 4:39
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The fourth root of a negative number will be a complex (real + imaginary) number in the form: a+bi that your Excel formula is unable to manage.
You have to rewrite your formula to:
=IMSUB(IMSQRT(COMPLEX(0,SQRT((171757/201011)))),1)
That will give you the result:
-0,3201569+0,67984i
The same as Wolphram Alpha
