[Yoink!]

I have a set of 24 #'s. is there an easy way(*formula) to tell me the
combination of those #'s to equal a given #? Example( my set of numbers are
1,2,3,4,5 etc..) i need to know a combination equaling to 10. and an answer
would be 2,3,5. I understand there could be more than one combination but is
there any formual that could help me do something like this?

[Jim Thomlinson]

There is no formula to do that kind of thing... Your example actually has 9
solutions...

10.00
6.00 4.00
7.00 3.00
8.00 2.00
9.00 1.00
5.00 4.00 1.00
5.00 3.00 2.00
6.00 3.00 1.00
7.00 2.00 1.00

Doing this requires code and and little bit of knowledge... Here is the
code. To make the references in the VBE (where you write the code) select
Tools - References and check off Microsoft Scripting Runtime &Microsoft
VBScript Regular Expressions 1.0


Option Explicit
'This *REQUIRES* VBAProject references to
'Microsoft Scripting Runtime
'Microsoft VBScript Regular Expressions 1.0
'Written by Harlan Grove

Sub FindSums()
Const TOL As Double = 0.000001 'modify as needed
Dim c As Variant


Dim j As Long, k As Long, n As Long, p As Boolean
Dim s As String, t As Double, u As Double
Dim v As Variant, x As Variant, y As Variant
Dim dc1 As New Dictionary, dc2 As New Dictionary
Dim dcn As Dictionary, dco As Dictionary
Dim re As New RegExp


re.Global = True
re.IgnoreCase = True


On Error Resume Next


Set x = Application.InputBox( _
Prompt:="Enter range of values:", _
Title:="findsums", _
Default:="", _
Type:=8 _
)


If x Is Nothing Then
Err.Clear
Exit Sub
End If


y = Application.InputBox( _
Prompt:="Enter target value:", _
Title:="findsums", _
Default:="", _
Type:=1 _
)


If VarType(y) = vbBoolean Then
Exit Sub
Else
t = y
End If


On Error GoTo 0


Set dco = dc1
Set dcn = dc2


Call recsoln


For Each y In x.Value2
If VarType(y) = vbDouble Then
If Abs(t - y) < TOL Then
recsoln "+" & Format(y)


ElseIf dco.Exists(y) Then
dco(y) = dco(y) + 1


ElseIf y < t - TOL Then
dco.Add Key:=y, Item:=1


c = CDec(c + 1)
Application.StatusBar = "[1] " & Format(c)


End If


End If
Next y


n = dco.Count


ReDim v(1 To n, 1 To 3)


For k = 1 To n
v(k, 1) = dco.Keys(k - 1)
v(k, 2) = dco.Items(k - 1)
Next k


qsortd v, 1, n


For k = n To 1 Step -1
v(k, 3) = v(k, 1) * v(k, 2) + v(IIf(k = n, n, k + 1), 3)
If v(k, 3) t Then dcn.Add Key:="+" & Format(v(k, 1)), Item:=v(k, 1)
Next k


On Error GoTo CleanUp
Application.EnableEvents = False
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual


For k = 2 To n
dco.RemoveAll
swapo dco, dcn


For Each y In dco.Keys
p = False


For j = 1 To n
If v(j, 3) < t - dco(y) - TOL Then Exit For


x = v(j, 1)
s = "+" & Format(x)
If Right(y, Len(s)) = s Then p = True


If p Then
re.Pattern = "\" & s & "(?=(\+|$))"
If re.Execute(y).Count < v(j, 2) Then
u = dco(y) + x


If Abs(t - u) < TOL Then
recsoln y & s


ElseIf u < t - TOL Then
dcn.Add Key:=y & s, Item:=u


c = CDec(c + 1)
Application.StatusBar = "[" & Format(k) & "] " & Format(c)


End If
End If
End If
Next j
Next y


If dcn.Count = 0 Then Exit For
Next k


If (recsoln() = 0) Then _
MsgBox Prompt:="all combinations exhausted", Title:="No Solution"


CleanUp:
Application.EnableEvents = True
Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic
Application.StatusBar = False


End Sub


Private Function recsoln(Optional s As String)
Const OUTPUTWSN As String = "findsums solutions" 'modify to taste


Static r As Range
Dim ws As Worksheet


If s = "" And r Is Nothing Then
On Error Resume Next
Set ws = ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(OUTPUTWSN)


If ws Is Nothing Then
Err.Clear
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Set ws = ActiveSheet
Set r = Worksheets.Add.Range("A1")
r.Parent.Name = OUTPUTWSN
ws.Activate
Application.ScreenUpdating = False


Else
ws.Cells.Clear
Set r = ws.Range("A1")


End If


recsoln = 0


ElseIf s = "" Then
recsoln = r.Row - 1
Set r = Nothing


Else
r.Value = s
Set r = r.Offset(1, 0)
recsoln = r.Row - 1


End If


End Function


Private Sub qsortd(v As Variant, lft As Long, rgt As Long)
'ad hoc quicksort subroutine
'translated from Aho, Weinberger & Kernighan,
'"The Awk Programming Language", page 161


Dim j As Long, pvt As Long


If (lft = rgt) Then Exit Sub


swap2 v, lft, lft + Int((rgt - lft + 1) * Rnd)


pvt = lft


For j = lft + 1 To rgt
If v(j, 1) v(lft, 1) Then
pvt = pvt + 1
swap2 v, pvt, j
End If
Next j


swap2 v, lft, pvt


qsortd v, lft, pvt - 1
qsortd v, pvt + 1, rgt
End Sub


Private Sub swap2(v As Variant, i As Long, j As Long)
'modified version of the swap procedure from
'translated from Aho, Weinberger & Kernighan,
'"The Awk Programming Language", page 161


Dim t As Variant, k As Long


For k = LBound(v, 2) To UBound(v, 2)
t = v(i, k)
v(i, k) = v(j, k)
v(j, k) = t
Next k
End Sub


Private Sub swapo(a As Object, b As Object)
Dim t As Object


Set t = a
Set a = b
Set b = t
End Sub
'---- end VBA code ----


--
HTH...

Jim Thomlinson


"Yoink!" wrote:

I have a set of 24 #'s. is there an easy way(*formula) to tell me the
combination of those #'s to equal a given #? Example( my set of numbers are
1,2,3,4,5 etc..) i need to know a combination equaling to 10. and an answer
would be 2,3,5. I understand there could be more than one combination but is
there any formual that could help me do something like this?

[Don Guillett]

This can be done with formulas. I have done such a thing for a postage
calculator.
If desired, send your file to my address below along with this msg and
a clear explanation of what you want and before/after examples.

--
Don Guillett
Microsoft MVP Excel
SalesAid Software

"Yoink!" wrote in message
...
I have a set of 24 #'s. is there an easy way(*formula) to tell me the
combination of those #'s to equal a given #? Example( my set of numbers
are
1,2,3,4,5 etc..) i need to know a combination equaling to 10. and an
answer
would be 2,3,5. I understand there could be more than one combination but
is
there any formual that could help me do something like this?