SIGN function

The SIGN function in Excel returns the sign of a number, indicating whether the number is positive, negative, or zero.

Syntax

=SIGN(number)

Parameters

• number (required): The number for which you want to determine the sign.

Return Values

• 1 if the number is positive.
• 0 if the number is zero.
• -1 if the number is negative.

Examples

1. Check the sign of a positive number:

   =SIGN(5)
   

   Result: 1 (since the number is positive)

2. Check the sign of a negative number:

   =SIGN(-3)
   

   Result: -1 (since the number is negative)

3. Check the sign of zero:

   =SIGN(0)
   

   Result: 0 (since the number is zero)

4. Check the sign of a number in a cell (e.g., A1):

   =SIGN(A1)
   

Notes

• The SIGN function is particularly useful for conditional logic, where you might want to perform different actions depending on whether a number is positive, negative, or zero.
• If the number is non-numeric (e.g., a text string), the function returns a #VALUE! error.

Related Functions

• ABS: Returns the absolute value of a number (i.e., removes the sign).
• IF: Can be combined with SIGN to perform actions based on the sign of a number.
• MIN and MAX: These can be used in conjunction with SIGN for more complex comparisons.

The SIGN function is helpful when you need to evaluate the polarity of numbers in data processing or create decision models based on the sign of the input values.