It’s that time of year. The time when you have to add up long lists of numbers. You know, like totaling all the members who paid for the Second Friday social in multiples of $20. And all the checks on the deposit slip.
What? That’s not on your chore list? Well, how about your monthly expenses? Or the budget for the wedding? Or the renovation? Or the cruise?
When was the last time you tried to add up a list of numbers on a calculator? Did you miss those old adding machines that recorded it all on a roll of paper?
If you haven’t already, I invite you to meet Sigma this summer. Here it is, that sideways M: Ʃ
Sigma is a Greek letter that moonlights as a math symbol. What does it mean? Well, to sum it up, Sigma means to sum things up. You will find Sigma hanging out in the top-right corner of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Like… over there ——————————>
If I have more than two numbers to add up, I pop open a spreadsheet and throw my numbers down a column. If you have numbers from the internet, they usually copy and paste nicely.
In the spot where we’d want a total, I call on Sigma to do the math. Like so:
Honestly, I find it easier to find the Sigma summer than to find a calculator anymore.
But wait! There’s more.
See that little arrow to the right of Sigma? That opens up Sigma’s bag of tricks. In there, you can change SUM to AVG, or COUNT, or MAX, or MIN.
But wait! There’s more.
Your numbers don’t have to be in a straight line. You can select as many rows and columns and lone cells as you want. If they aren’t adjacent, just hold the CTRL or z key while you select them.
So what do you think? Do you think you might give Sigma Summer a whirl this summer?
This article was originally published in the South Ponte Vedra Civic Association newsletter on 6/1/2022.