The VARPA function in Google Sheets is an essential statistical tool used to calculate the variance of an entire population, including text data and logical values. Unlike other variance functions, VARPA treats text entries as zero, providing a comprehensive view of the variance across the dataset.

Syntax

VARPA(value1, [value2, ...])

• value1: The first number or range to evaluate for variance.
• value2: [Optional] Additional numbers or ranges to include in the calculation.

Example #1

=VARPA(A1:A5)

This function calculates the variance of the population for the range A1 to A5, treating all text entries as zero. For instance, if A1:A5 contains the values {5, 10, “text”, 15, 20}, the result would be 35.

Example #2

=VARPA(4, 5, "no data", TRUE)

In this case, VARPA evaluates the numbers 4 and 5, counts the text “no data” as 0, and considers TRUE as 1, yielding a variance result of 0.5.

Example #3

=VARPA({3, 6, "sample", 9})

This function computes the variance from the array {3, 6, “sample”, 9}, treating “sample” as 0, resulting in a variance value of 9.75.

Error handling

• DIV/0!: Occurs if there are no numeric entries for variance calculation.
• VALUE!: Happens when the inputs are not in a recognizable format (e.g., text that cannot be interpreted as numbers).
• N/A: Indicates that a reference is invalid or unavailable, impeding the calculation of variance.

Conclusion

The VARPA function is a powerful asset in data analysis, allowing you to incorporate a variety of data types when determining the variance of a population. By interpreting text and logical values appropriately, VARPA offers a nuanced understanding of data variability, making it invaluable for comprehensive statistical analysis.