Linear Interpolation with Ex...

Page 1

Many people want to interpolate data they have digitized with

Dagra in Microsoft Excel. Unfortunately Excel doesn’t provide an
interpolation function but there is a simple approach.

Understanding Interpolation
Interpolation is a method for estimating the value of a function
between two known values. Often some relationship is measured
experimentally or traced with Dagra at a range of values.
Interpolation can be used to estimate the function for untabulated
points.

For example, suppose we have tabulated data for the thermal

resistance of a transistor tabulated for air velocity from 0 to
1800 FPM in 200 FPM steps. Interpolation can be used to estimate
the thermal resistance at non-tabulated values such as 485 FPM.

The table lists thermal resistance in 200 FPM steps. Interpolation can be used to estimate the thermal

resistance for non-tabulated values between the tabulated ones.

Linear Interpolation Equations

https://www.datadigitization... 4/8/2019 4:52:10 PM

 Linear Interpolation with Ex... Page 2

Linear interpolation involves estimating a new value by connecting

two adjacent known values with a straight line.

If the two known values are (x1, y1) and (x2, y2), then the y value for
some point x is:

Linear interpolation is a straight line fit between two data points.

Implementing Interpolation with Microsoft

Excel
The linear interpolation equation above can be implemented
directly in Microsoft Excel provided the tabulated values are
monotonic in x, that is the x-values are sorted and no two are
equal. The online Microwave Encyclopedia has the full 6 line
implementation along with a good explanation of how it works.

However, here is a simpler implementation for Excel:

=FORECAST(NewX,OFFSET(KnownY,MATCH(NewX,KnownX,1)-1,0,2),
OFFSET(KnownX,MATCH(NewX,KnownX,1)-1,0,2))
To use it either:

1. Copy the formula above into Excel and replace KnownX and KnownY with the
cell reference for the tabulated x and y values and NewX with the x-value to
interpolate, OR

https://www.datadigitization... 4/8/2019 4:52:10 PM

 Linear Interpolation with Ex... Page 3

2. Define names for the KnownX and KnownY ranges (Insert→Name→Define…

in Excel 2003) and replace NewX with the x-value to interpolate.

You can download the Excel linear interpolation example.

21.0 KiB
LinearInterpolation.xls 77487 Downloads

This equation works exactly the same way as the direct

implementation of the linear interpolation equation. The main
difference is that only two lookup functions are required for the
simple approach described here, while the direct implementation
needs 6 (one for each term in the equation). This makes it
substantially faster.

How the Excel implementation works

The simple implementation is easiest to understand by dissecting
from the outside and working in. Here’s the full equation:
=FORECAST(NewX,OFFSET(KnownY,MATCH(NewX,KnownX,1)-1,0,2),
OFFSET(KnownX,MATCH(NewX,KnownX,1)-1,0,2))
In brief, the equation consists of 3 parts:

1. the FORECAST function to calculate the linear interpolation,

2. two calls to the MATCH function to find the tabulated x-value closest too,
but less than the new-x value, and
3. two calls to the OFFSET function to reference the tabulated x-values and
y-values just above and just below the new-x value.

https://www.datadigitization... 4/8/2019 4:52:10 PM

 Linear Interpolation with Ex... Page 4

In more detail, the FORECAST function performs the actual

interpolation using the linear interpolation equation shown above.
Its syntax is: FORECAST(NewX, known_y_pair, known_x_pair).

The first parameter, NewX is simply the value to interpolate. The

next two parameters, known_y_pair and known_x_pair are the values
either side of NewX. That is, {x1, x2} and {y1, y2} in the diagram
above.

The MATCH function is used to find the tabulated x-value just below
NewX. Its syntax is: MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_table,match_type).
MATCH returns the relative position of an item in a sorted array. So,
lookup_value is the value to interpolate, lookup_table is the array of
KnownX values, and match_type is 1 to find the largest value in the
array that is less than or equal to NewX.

The MATCH function returns an index, but the FORECAST function

requires two cell ranges: one for the known_x_pair and one for the
known_y_pair. So, the OFFSET function is used twice to create these
ranges. Its syntax is OFFSET(reference,row_offset, column_offset,
row_count,column_count). It takes a starting point, the reference, and
creates a cell reference with the given offset and size. To obtain the
known_y_pair range, the reference is set to the table of
KnownYvalues; for the known_x_pair range, reference is set to the
array of KnownX values. If the tabulated values are arranged
vertically, the row_offset is the result from the MATCH function less
1 and row_count is 2; column_offset is 0 andcolumn_count is 1. This
gives us a cell array reference 2 cells high and 1 cell wide. If the
tabulated values are arranged horizontally, row and column are
switched in the OFFSET function.

https://www.datadigitization... 4/8/2019 4:52:10 PM