How to Do the Sum of an Indefinite Series in Excel
The Microsoft Excel program includes a variety of mathematical formulas that you can apply to any cell in a spreadsheet. If your business uses an Excel file to track sales information, you can use the SUM formula to add up all order totals. The SUM formula can be applied to a certain number or cells or an indefinite series such as an entire column of data, which may grow or shrink at a later time.
Launch the Microsoft Excel program and open the desired spreadsheet file.
Click on the top cell in the next available column of blank data.
Place your text cursor in the formula field at the top of the window.
Fill in the formula field with "SUM(A:A)" and replace "A:A" with the indefinite range you want to total. For example, if you wanted to find the total of all the data in column C, you would enter "SUM(C:C)" in the formula field.
Press "Enter" to run the formula and calculate the sum of the selected series.
Bennett Gavrish is an I.T. professional who has been writing about computers, electronics and the Web since 2004. His work has appeared in the "Nashua Telegraph" and the "Daily Free Press" and on numerous websites. Gavrish received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University.