mathematics

RExcel

RExcel is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand RExcel rather than just read about it. In short: RExcel is an add-on for Microsoft Excel that allows access to the statistics package R from within Excel. It uses the statconnDCOM server and, for certain configurations, the room package.

Key takeaways

RExcel belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect RExcel to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of RExcel from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

RExcel is an add-on for Microsoft Excel that allows access to the statistics package R from within Excel. It uses the statconnDCOM server and, for certain configurations, the room package. RExcel runs on Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, or 7), with Excel 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2013. The RExcelInstaller package was removed from CRAN due to FOSS license restrictions.

References

Bibliography Baier T., Neuwirth E., De Meo M: Creating and Deploying an Application with (R)Excel and R R Journal 3/2, December 2011. Baier T. and Neuwirth. E. Excel :: COM :: R. Computational Statistics 22 (2007). Heiberger R. and Neuwirth E.: R Through Excel, Springer Verlag 2009. Neuwirth, E.: R meets the Workplace - Embedding R into Excel and making it more accessible. Paper presented at the UseR 2008, Dortmund. Narasimhan, B.: Disseminating Statistical Methodology and Results via R and Excel: Two Examples. Paper presented at the Interface 2007, Philadelphia. Baier, T., Heiberger, R., Neuwirth, E., Schinagl, K., & Grossmann, W.: Using R for teaching statistics to nonmajors: Comparing experiences of two different approaches. Paper presented at the UseR 2006, Vienna. Konnert, A.: LabNetAnalysis - An instrument for the analysis of data from laboratory networks based on RExcel Paper presented at the UseR 2006, Vienna.

External links RExcel's website Archived 2019-01-21 at the Wayback Machine

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with RExcel

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what RExcel claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to RExcel before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about RExcel ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of RExcel

In research: RExcel appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses RExcel in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: RExcel is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Microsoft Office-related statistical software, R (programming language), so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for RExcel outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study RExcel in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what RExcel means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain RExcel out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is RExcel in simple terms?

RExcel is an add-on for Microsoft Excel that allows access to the statistics package R from within Excel. It uses the statconnDCOM server and, for certain configurations, the room package.

Why does RExcel matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study RExcel?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on RExcel.