Complex numbers in Apple Numbers

Sayaf1409 wrote:

Could just tell me what the differences in date and time treatment between Numbers and Excel?

Also, what did you mean by "duration" data format, is it the type or format of data in cells or something else?

The differences in date and time treatment can get confusing.

First consider a simple example in Numbers:

Note first that if Duration is not a "Data Format", as stated in another post here, then someone forgot to tell Apple!😀

Note also in the second and third columns that one can enter only the time part or only the date part in a Numbers cell. Just make sure the cells are formatted as Text (not Automatic or Date & Time) before you do so, and Numbers will happily perform just date or time arithmetic for you.

In row 4 the value in row 2 is simply subtracted from row 3. The results are automatically given in the Data Format of Duration. Excel does not have that data format. It generally works with the concept of "elapsed time" by subtracting one serial value from another. See this and many other references for an explanation and examples.

Duration is convenient because it reduces many problems to simple subtraction, whereas Excel can require a more complicated approach. But in Numbers it often happens that one needs to convert a Duration value to a decimal value to use in further calculations. For example, you have 8h (for eight hours) and you need to multiply that by an hourly wage rate. To allow you to do that, Numbers provides a whole family of functions that Excel doesn't have: DUR2WEEKS,DUR2DAYS, DUR2HOURS, DUR2MINUTES, etc.

Also note that you can convert decimal numbers of minutes, etc. into the Duration Data Format using the DURATION function. Excel has a DURATION function too, but it for an entirely different purpose: it does bond math.

Once you understand how Numbers approaches points in time and elapsed time you may find in many cases it is more convenient than Excel. Nevertheless, date-time math remains complicated in both apps.

SG

I don't think I can give guidance on your specific complex numbers question.

There are quite a few examples in these discussions showing how to accomplish in Numbers what would be done differently in Excel. The biggest differences are the lack of support in Numbers for most "array" functions, and the treatment of date-time in Excel vs. Numbers. Numbers has the concept of a "duration" data format. Excel does not.

You can give feedback to Apple via Numbers > Provide Numbers feedback in your menu.

SG

HI Sayaf,

Duration is not a 'format.' It is a type of data distinct from "Date and Time. Duration is a value expressing the amount of 'time' that has passed, or the amount of 'time' that has yet to pass before we reach a specific moment.

Example: Start time: March 11, 2020 9:00AM

End time:                  March 11, 2020 5:00 PM

Duration of work  March 11, 2020 5:00 PM - March 11, 2020 9:00AM = 8h 0m

In Numbers, time is always part of a Date and Time value specifying a specific instant in time.

If you enter only the time part in a Numbers cell, the cell will display that time, but will contain a full Date and Time value, with the date part set to the date on which the entry was made.

If you enter only the date part in a Numbers cell, the cell will display that date, but will contain a full Date and Time value, with the time part set to 00:00:00 (Midnight, at the beginning of that day).

Numbers does understand "TIMEVALUE" The function ignores the date part of a Date and Time value, and returns a decimal fraction equivalent to the portion of a 24 hour day that has passed at the time of day expressed by the time part of the D&T value.

Regards,

Barry