MINVERSE Function in Excel: Inverse of a Matrix

MINVERSE Function in Excel: Inverse of a Matrix featured illustration

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⏱ 2 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

MathLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. Common errors and fixes
  5. MINVERSE in practice
  6. Where you will use it
  7. Worked example
  8. Mistakes people make
  9. Related functions
  10. Continue learning

MINVERSE inverts a square matrix — with MMULT it solves simultaneous equations.

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Syntax

=MINVERSE(array)
Argument What it means
array Square range.

Examples

Example 1

=MMULT(MINVERSE(A2:B3), D2:D3)

Solves 2x + 3y = 13, x − y = −1 → x = 2, y = 3.

Common errors and fixes

You see Why, and the fix
#NUM! The matrix has no inverse (determinant is 0).

MINVERSE in practice

Where you will use it

  • Solve simultaneous equations
  • Input-output models
  • Matrix algebra

Worked example

CaseFormulaResult
1=ARRAYTOTEXT(ROUND(MINVERSE(CHOOSE(A2,{2,1;1,3},{4,7;2,6},{1,0;0,1})),3))0.6, -0.2, -0.2, 0.4
2=ARRAYTOTEXT(ROUND(MINVERSE(CHOOSE(A3,{2,1;1,3},{4,7;2,6},{1,0;0,1})),3))0.6, -0.7, -0.2, 0.4
3=ARRAYTOTEXT(ROUND(MINVERSE(CHOOSE(A4,{2,1;1,3},{4,7;2,6},{1,0;0,1})),3))1, 0, 0, 1

Results calculated in Excel.

Mistakes people make

MistakeWhat to do instead
Singular matrix#NUM!
SolvingMultiply: MMULT(MINVERSE(A),b)

MMULT · MDETERM

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📎 Practice files for this article

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    Practice workbook: Math & rounding24 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.
    ⬇ XLSX · 35 KB

Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.

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