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Statistical function
MAXA
Returns the largest value, counting TRUE as 1 and text as 0.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1100 · ProficientUsage rank #149 of 520
When to use it
MAX that treats TRUE as 1, FALSE as 0, and text as 0.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=MAXA(value1, [value2], ...)
Worked examples
Logical wins
=MAXA(0.5,TRUE) → 1
TRUE counts as 1.
Text as zero
=MAXA(-5,"text") → 0
Text counts as 0, which beats -5.
Negatives and text
=MAXA(A2:A4) → 0
A2:A4 holds -3, -8, and "n/a".
Worth knowing
- Use it when a text placeholder should count as zero in a max of negative numbers.
- For normal data MAX is what you want.
- Blanks are still ignored.
Where it goes wrong
- Text silently becomes 0, which can mask a data problem.
- Numbers stored as text count as 0, not their value.
Related
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