Solve feature lets you solve optimization problems

Today we've added optimization capabilities to spreadsheets. Try out the Solve feature at Tools > Solve... It's useful for problems where you'd like to maximize (or minimize) a certain value.

Let's say you want to buy a new house. You know that you can afford $2,000/month, and you want to determine how much house you can afford. Just create a spreadsheet with your formulas (in this case, using the equation =B1*SUM(B2:B3)/12 in Sheet1!B4).



You'll quickly see that you can buy a house worth $320,000.

Check out this more complex profit maximization example that's documented in this help center article. This example shows how the Solve feature could help a farmer who is trying to determine how much of three different crops to plant given his land, fertilizer, and budget constraints.

For those of you who are familiar with optimization functions in spreadsheets, note that we only support linear equations in the constraints and in the cell you want to optimize.

Still, the Solve feature is a great way to solve a multitude of everyday problems without hurting your head too much. We hope you find it useful.

Posted by: Ben McCann, Software Engineer