Common AVEDEV questions usually involve formula errors, result checking, and filling formulas across multiple cells; this section includes 3 frequent questions and a glossary.
FAQ
What should I do if AVEDEV returns an error value?
- Check whether the formula starts with an equals sign
=. - Make sure the arguments are separated with commas.
- Confirm that the referenced range mainly contains numeric values instead of unintended text entries.
- If the issue continues, reselect the arguments through the Insert Function dialog.
How can I check an AVEDEV result that does not match my expectation?
- Confirm that the referenced range is correct and that no cells were missed or added by mistake.
- Check whether the related cells contain text-formatted numbers, spaces, or other content that affects the result.
- Review the full formula in the formula bar and test with a smaller range if needed.
- Compare the result with the mean and the original data to confirm that average absolute deviation is the right measure for your task.
How can I use AVEDEV in multiple cells at once?
- Enter the correct
=AVEDEV(...)formula in the first target cell. - Select that cell and move the pointer to the fill handle in the lower-right corner.
- Drag down or across to copy the formula to other target cells.
- Use
$in the formula if some row or column references need to stay fixed.
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AVEDEV | A statistical function that returns the average of the absolute deviations of data points from their mean. |
| Average absolute deviation | The average of the absolute differences between each data point and the mean, used to observe variation in a dataset. |
| Function arguments | The values, cells, ranges, or other valid inputs passed into a function for calculation. |
| Relative reference | A reference that changes automatically when a formula is copied to another cell. |
| Absolute reference | A reference that uses $ to lock a row, a column, or both when a formula is copied. |