Statistical Functions
Beginner
MIN across a row: the best of three quotes
The cheapest option for each line, read sideways.
Task:
Each part was quoted by three suppliers. In E2:E6 give the cheapest quote for each part.
Interactive Spreadsheet
Hints
+5 XPno-hints bonusSolve it on your own to keep the bonus. Each hint gets one step closer to the formula.
Variations of MIN, MAX
0/3The same formula in the other shapes it takes at work.
The data in this exercise
This is the grid you start with. Cell references in the task — B6, C2 — point at the row numbers and column letters below.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Part | Supplier A | Supplier B | Supplier C | Best |
| 2 | Bolt | 0.42 | 0.39 | 0.45 | |
| 3 | Bracket | 3.1 | 3.25 | 2.95 | |
| 4 | Hinge | 1.8 | 1.72 | 1.72 | |
| 5 | Spring | 0.65 | 0.7 | 0.58 | |
| 6 | Plate | 7.4 | 6.9 | 7.05 |
What this exercise teachesMay contain the answer
Statistics functions do not care which way a range runs. Reading across a row answers a different question from reading down a column: the cheapest supplier for this part, rather than this supplier's cheapest part.