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VLOOKUP is a useful function in Excel that allows users to search for a specific value in a table and return a corresponding value from a different column. In order to use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel, the following steps can be followed:
1. Begin by selecting the cell where you want the minimum value to be displayed.
2. Next, type the formula “=VLOOKUP(” into the cell.
3. Within the parentheses, enter the value you want to search for in the first argument. This can be a specific number or cell reference.
4. In the second argument, select the table or range where you want the minimum value to be searched for.
5. In the third argument, enter the column index number of the column where the minimum value is located. This will be used to determine which value to return from the table.
6. Finally, add a comma and enter “TRUE” as the fourth argument. This will ensure that the function searches for an approximate match and returns the closest value to the searched value.
7. Press enter to complete the formula and the cell will display the minimum value from the specified table.
Using VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel can save time and effort in searching for and manually identifying the minimum value in a large dataset. It is a valuable tool for data analysis and management.
Excel: Use VLOOKUP to Return Minimum Value
You can use the following syntax in Excel with the MIN and VLOOKUP functions to find the minimum value in a range and return a corresponding value:
=VLOOKUP(MIN(A2:A11), A2:B11, 2, FALSE)
This particular formula uses MIN to find the minimum value in the range A2:A11 and then uses VLOOKUP to look up the value in the range B2:B11 that corresponds to this minimum value.
The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.
Example: How to Use VLOOKUP with MIN in Excel
Suppose we have the following dataset that contains information about points scored by various basketball players:
Suppose we would like to look up the minimum value in the points column and return the corresponding team name.
We can type the following formula into cell D2 to do so:
=VLOOKUP(MIN(A2:A11), A2:B11, 2, FALSE)
The following screenshot shows how to use this formula in practice:
This formula uses the MIN function to find the minimum value of 11 in the points column.
Then, the formula uses the VLOOKUP function to return the team name Jazz, which is the team that corresponds to the minimum value in the points column.
Bonus: Find the Minimum Value Associated with a Lookup Value
If you instead wanted to find the minimum value associated with a specific lookup value, you could use the MINIFS function instead.
For example, you could use the following formula to find the minimum value associated with the Warriors” team:
=MINIFS(B2:B9, A2:A9, "Warriors")
The following screenshot shows how to use this formula in practice:
The formula returns a value of 14, which is the minimum value associated with the Warriors” in this dataset.
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-return-the-minimum-value-in-excel/
stats writer. "How can I use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 22 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-return-the-minimum-value-in-excel/.
stats writer. "How can I use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-return-the-minimum-value-in-excel/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-return-the-minimum-value-in-excel/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. How can I use VLOOKUP to return the minimum value in Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.