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LOGEST

The LOGEST function in Google Sheets is a powerful tool to calculate various parameters about the best fit ideal exponential growth curve, given partial data about the curve.

Function Syntax and Parameters

Syntax: LOGEST(known_data_y, [known_data_x], [b], [verbose])

Parameters:

  • known_data_y: The known y-values for the data points.
  • known_data_x: [Optional] The known x-values for the data points. If not specified, the default sequence 1, 2, 3, ... is used.
  • b: [Optional] A logical value that determines whether to force the constant b to be equal to 0 (FALSE) or not (TRUE).
  • verbose: [Optional] A logical value that determines whether to provide additional statistical information about the regression (TRUE) or not (FALSE).

Step-by-Step Tutorial

  1. Calculating the exponential growth curve parameters:
    • Example: =LOGEST(B2:B10, A2:A10, TRUE, TRUE)
    • Result: The function returns an array with the parameters for the best fit ideal exponential growth curve.

Use Cases and Scenarios

  1. Business Forecasting: Predicting future growth based on existing data.
  2. Scientific Data Analysis: Analyzing exponential growth patterns in biological or chemical processes.
  3. Investment Analysis: Evaluating investment returns based on exponential growth models.

Related Functions

  • GROWTH: Calculates predicted exponential growth based on existing data.
  • TREND: Calculates linear regression to predict future values based on existing data.

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