Access' dStDev vs Excel's StDev?

[(Pete Cresswell)]

I'm assuming that given the same stream of values, each should return the same
result.

Anybody disagree?
--
PeteCresswell

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 20:53:26 -0500, "(Pete Cresswell)" <[e-mail]>
wrote:

Not me.
Just be aware of the difference between StDev and StDevP. But
otherwise, yes, StDev is a well defined entity.

-Tom.

I'm assuming that given the same stream of values, each should return the same
result.

Anybody disagree?

[Lyle Fairfield]

"(Pete Cresswell)" <[e-mail]> wrote in
news:qu********************************@4ax.com:

Anybody disagree?

You mean N-1 disagree?

--
Lyle
--

[PeteCresswell]

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 19:36:15 -0700, Tom van Stiphout
<no*************@cox.net> wrote:

StDev is a well defined entity.

I must be doing something wrong.

When I try to prove one against the other from MS Access, I'm issuing:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

?gExcelApp.WorksheetFunction.StDev("1345,1301,1368 ,1322,1310,1370,1318,1350,1303,1299")
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where ?gExcelApp.Name returns "Microsoft Excel" (i.e. Excel really is
instantiated).
But it's bombing with RunTime 1004 "Unable to get the StDev property
of the WorkSheetFunctionClass".

When I look up Excel in Object Browser, it *seems* like that's the
right path (i.e. Application.WorkSheetFunction.StDev).

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[(Pete Cresswell)]

Per Tom van Stiphout:

Just be aware of the difference between StDev and StDevP.

I've read the words, but they don't make any sense to me.

If I'm passing an array of values, what's the diff whether they consitute the
entire population or are a sample from some larger population?

I could see it mattering if StDevP accepted an argument that specified the size
of the larger population, but as it is I can't make it jell.

?
--
PeteCresswell

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 16:33:53 -0500, "(Pete Cresswell)" <[e-mail]>
wrote:

For statisticians it matters whether the data you're about to
calculate with constitute the entire set (StDevP), or just a sample
(StDev).
In the respective formulas (off the top of my head) we are either
dividing by N or by N-1(where N = sample size). For small values of N
this matters, and I just didn't want you to say "here is my proof the
two environments calculate different results" when all you did was get
confused between these two functions.

-Tom.

Per Tom van Stiphout:

Just be aware of the difference between StDev and StDevP.

I've read the words, but they don't make any sense to me.

If I'm passing an array of values, what's the diff whether they consitute the
entire population or are a sample from some larger population?

I could see it mattering if StDevP accepted an argument that specified the size
of the larger population, but as it is I can't make it jell.

?

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:24:57 -0500, PeteCresswell <[e-mail]>
wrote:

The argument to the StDev function is not a string, but a list of
values. Paste this in Excel's immediate window:
?Application.WorksheetFunction.StDev(1345,1301,136 8,1322,1310,1370,1318,1350,1303,1299)
27.4639157198405

-Tom.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 19:36:15 -0700, Tom van Stiphout
<no*************@cox.net> wrote:

StDev is a well defined entity.

I must be doing something wrong.

When I try to prove one against the other from MS Access, I'm issuing:
------------------------------------------------------------------------

?gExcelApp.WorksheetFunction.StDev("1345,1301,136 8,1322,1310,1370,1318,1350,1303,1299")
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where ?gExcelApp.Name returns "Microsoft Excel" (i.e. Excel really is
instantiated).
But it's bombing with RunTime 1004 "Unable to get the StDev property
of the WorkSheetFunctionClass".

When I look up Excel in Object Browser, it *seems* like that's the
right path (i.e. Application.WorkSheetFunction.StDev).

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[PeteCresswell]

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 19:56:18 -0700, Tom van Stiphout
<no*************@cox.net> wrote:

The argument to the StDev function is not a string, but a list of
values. Paste this in Excel's immediate window:
?Application.WorksheetFunction.StDev(1345,1301,13 68,1322,1310,1370,1318,1350,1303,1299)
27.4639157198405

Bingo!......

That makes is "Cresswell 0, Computer 3" for yesterday....

Thanks.