Functions and Solver Improvements in Excel 2010

There have been several improvements made in Excel 2010 to the function library and the Solver add-in. The function improvements have been made to address issues reported in academic papers as well as customer feedback. To quote the Excel team blog:

“In Excel 2010, we made many improvements to Excel's function library. Excel 2010 will feature an accurate and consistent function library while remaining compatible with previous versions of Excel. “

In addition to the accuracy improvements, we also have introduced various new functions to the Excel function library to ensure that users have a consistent function library with implementations that match standard practices. As are result of these improvements, we have also made some UI changes to help users adopt the new functions.

clip_image001

Here are the blog posts that describe the function work in detail:

Excel 2010 will also provide an updated version of the Solver add-in:

“In Excel 2010, we have made a number of improvements to Solver that make it easy for beginners to get started and more advanced ones to find solutions to all types of problems. “

The Excel 2010 Solver will offer a new user interface, new solving methods and new reports. The UI for the Solver Parameter dialog has been improved to make it easier for users to navigate.

clip_image003

In addition to the UI changes, the new Solver will also feature 3 solving methods for solving spreadsheet optimization problems:

  • Simplex Method
  • GRG Nonlinear Solver
  • Evolutionary Solver

New reports added in the Excel 2010 Solver are:

  • Linearity Report
  • Feasibility Report
  • Population Report

Enjoy!