The DELTA function compares two numbers and returns a 1 if they are the same, and a 0 if they are not the same.
Contents:
Syntax
= DELTA(number1, [number2])number1 - the first number to be compared
[number2] - an optional argument, the second number to be compared
Explanation
The DELTA function is part of the "Engineering" group of functions within Excel.
The DELTA function compares two values and returns 1 if they are equal, and 0 if they are not equal. If only one number is provided, the DELTA function compares that number to 0.
This function works by subtracting the two values being compared and checking whether the result is equal to 0. If the result is 0, the DELTA function returns 1, indicating that the values are equal. If the result is not 0, the DELTA function returns 0, indicating that the values are not equal.
Note:
Trying to compare anything other than two numeric values will result in a #VALUE! error. If you do need to compare text, the IF or EXACT function should be used.
Examples
How to Check if Two Numbers are the Same in Excel
In this example, we'll demonstrate how to check if two numbers or cells are the same in Excel using a formula.
In this example we have some results that we've calculated and want to check them against expected results. In column C, we've inserted the following formula:
= DELTA(A2,B2)Now we can easily see where our calculated results differ from our expected results. A 1 shows us that the results are the same, and a 0 shows us that they are different.
You can also see where just one argument has been used that the function compares the first number to 0.
