Stage: 3 and 4 Challenge Level: 
As an example here is a simple Tables grid:
The cell C3 contains the formula: = C$2 * $B3
* means multiply in Excel, and although the functions we need
to investigate will often involve more than simple
multiplication, the process explained below is easily applied
even when the function itself is complicated.
In the illustration above, C2 is the factor from the top row
and B3 is the factor from the left hand column. The dollar
sign, $, used in the C3 formula, ensures that when the formula
is copied from C3 across the whole C3:F6 range the first factor
will continue to be taken from row 1 and the second factor will
still be taken from column A.
Once the correct formula (above) has been entered in C3, the
keystrokes for the copy manoeuvre are:
- select C3 (just click on it)
- choose Copy from the Edit menu
- highlight (click and drag) the C3:F6 range
- choose Paste from the Edit menu.
The formula from C3 is copied automatically to all cells in the
C3:F6 range.
The formula is adjusted for each new position except where a $
sign was placed to show that this automatic assistance is
unwanted.
Approximate solution by numerical methods.. Probability distributions, expectation and variance. Tree diagrams. Conditional probability. Mathematical modelling. Summation of series. Theoretical probability. Spreadsheets. Experimental probability. Random variables.
Published October 2002.
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email: nrich@damtp.cam.ac.uk
