Whether unraveling financial trends, analyzing scientific data, or simply exploring patterns within a spreadsheet, identifying the nth largest value is a crucial step toward gleaning meaningful insights. In this article, we will delve into a powerful tool for this purpose – the LARGE function. This Excel function offers a convenient way to do it. Whether you're working on financial data, scientific research, or any other data analysis domain, mastering the LARGE function can significantly enhance your ability to glean insights from your datasets. So, let's begin by syntax first.
Syntax
=LARGE(absolute data range reference, nth)
Steps to Find the Largest Value
- Start with =LARGE( function
- Select the range that contains the values $B$2:$G$7,
- Select the cell that contains nth value or you can manually enter the value I3
- Type ) to finish and complete the formula.
How
The LARGE function does exactly what the title of this article says: it returns the nth largest value in a data table. The LARGE function has two arguments: array and n value which stand for the range of values and the position from the largest, respectively.
=LARGE($B$2:$G$7,I3)
The function returns #NUM! under these circumstances:
- If the array is empty
- If n is greater than the number of data points, For example, if the array has 5 items, you try to get the 10th item.
- If n <= 0. It should be one at least.
Also, refer to a related article on how to highlight the top values in a data set dynamically. This article also uses the LARGE function in the data table and highlights them using conditional formatting.
Alternatively, you can use the MAX function instead of the LARGE function as well.
