Journal article
Inaccurate regression coefficients in Microsoft Excel 2003: an investigation of Volpi’s “zero bug”
Computational statistics, v 32(4), pp 1411-1421
2017
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Leonardo Volpi found that Excel 2003, rather than report correct coefficients, would sometimes change them to zero. We have investigated this so-called “zero bug” of the linear regression function LINEST(), and have found that the inaccuracy is caused by a non-standard modified back-substitution procedure. The modification, for which we can find no justification in the numerical analysis or statistical literature, uses a logic to control the bug: when certain conditions are met, accurate coefficients are replaced with inaccurate coefficients that may be zeros or nonzeros. Although Excel 2003 is now out of support, it is still in use. We do not know whether the modification is limited to Excel 2003, or whether Microsoft has programmed similar inaccuracies into other functions or other versions of Excel.
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Details
- Title
- Inaccurate regression coefficients in Microsoft Excel 2003: an investigation of Volpi’s “zero bug”
- Creators
- H.-J. Sun - Kyushu Sangyo UniversityKaoru Fukuda - Kyushu Sangyo UniversityB. D. McCullough - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Computational statistics, v 32(4), pp 1411-1421
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Grant note
- Kyushu Sangyo University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Decision Sciences (and Management Information Systems)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000413025300010
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85029032020
- Other Identifier
- 991019168402604721
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- Collaboration types
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Statistics & Probability