Microsoft Office

Part V
Analyzing Data with Excel
Usually, you want to save a model only when you’re using more than one set of Solver parameters with your
worksheet. This is because Excel saves the first Solver model automatically with your worksheet (using hidden
names). If you save additional models, Excel stores the information in the form of formulas that correspond
to the specifications. (The last cell in the saved range is an Array formula that holds the options
settings.)
Solver Examples
The remainder of this chapter consists of examples of using Solver for various types of problems.
Solving simultaneous linear equations
This example describes how to solve a set of three linear equations with three variables. Here’s an example
of a set of linear equations:
4x + 2y -2z =0
2x - 3y +3z =9
-6x -2y +z = 0
The question that Solver will answer is “What values of x, y, and z satisfy all three of these equations?”
Figure 37.9 shows a workbook set up to solve this problem. This workbook has three named cells, which
makes the formulas more readable:
n x: C11
n y: C12
n z: C13
The three named cells are all initialized to 1 (which certainly doesn’t solve the equations).
FIGURE 37.9
Solver will attempt to solve this series of linear equations.
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