How to Use the MULTINOMIAL Function in Excel

Today, we’ll explore the MULTINOMIAL function, an invaluable statistical tool available in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. This function is utilized to compute the multinomial coefficient, which reflects the number of ways in which a subset of items can be selected from a larger set where the sequence of selection is irrelevant.

How It Works

The syntax for the MULTINOMIAL function is identical in Excel and Google Sheets:

MULTINOMIAL(number1, [number2], ...)

• number1, number2, … are the parameters you will use to ascertain the multinomial coefficient.

Examples

Let’s look at some practical examples to understand how the MULTINOMIAL function is applied:

Example 1

Calculate the multinomial coefficient for the numbers 5, 3, and 2.

In both Excel and Google Sheets, you can use the formula:

=MULTINOMIAL(5, 3, 2)

This formula returns the multinomial coefficient for these numbers.

Example 2

Determine the number of ways to select a 3-element subset from a total of 7 elements.

This can be calculated using the MULTINOMIAL function as follows:

=MULTINOMIAL(7, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1)

Here, the function calculates the number of ways to choose a 3-element subset from the set of 7 elements.

Example 3

Imagine you need to determine the multinomial coefficient for four instances of the number 2.

Simply use the MULTINOMIAL function as follows:

=MULTINOMIAL(2, 2, 2, 2)

This calculation will yield the multinomial coefficient for these numbers.

Conclusion

The MULTINOMIAL function in Excel and Google Sheets is particularly valuable for solving problems related to combinations and permutations. By mastering this function, you can effectively calculate multinomial coefficients for diverse scenarios, enhancing your statistical analysis capabilities.

More information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/multinomial-function-6fa6373c-6533-41a2-a45e-a56db1db1bf6