I have an if statement for a column of rank numbers which will show the text "LOW" when the rank is 1. Is there a way to state an if statement (and add to the current statement) to have it show the text "HIGH" when the largest rank number is listed (instead of referring to a specific number)?
Hope that made sense.

Mike

Yeah, I think so, if I understand the question. Let's say the ranks are in column E. Then for any rank=1 you use =IF(En=1,"Low","Something else"), and for rank=<highest> you use =IF(En=MAX(E:E),"High","Something else"). How's that?

OK. Sounds great. Just two questions. What is "En" and do I use the text "Something else" or am I supposed to supply something there?

"En" is what I used for "E"-plus-row-number, whatever row you happen to be on. (I use R1C1 notation, myself, which would be ideal for this sort of thing if anyone else used it too.) So on row 2 the formula would be...or in R1C1 it would look like this:As for the "Something Else", you have to specify what you want it to display if it's not "Low" or "High". I was being more or less jocular with "Something else"; probably you'll use just a blank string, "".

OK thanks. Now can I put both of those statements in one cell and if so, how do I combine (stack) them?

Sorry, I tried to clarify and only confused the issue. If you use A1 notation (most people do), you use the first formula. If you use R1C1, as I do, you use the second. They're the same statement, just expressed in different ways.

The fact that you didn't notice that the second statement was actually the first (in a different notation) tells me you almost certainly use A1, which after all is what Excel ships in. In that notation you use letters for columns and numbers for rows.

Does that help, or did I just make it worse?

OK. I think I might not be expressing what I need. I am clear on the the cell reference designation. I want to put both the if statements in one cell. Here is what I have so far (that doesn't work).
=IF(E3=1,"LOW")+IF(E3=MAX(E:E),"HIGH")

I just tried this formula and it works to show me the LOW but the HIGH is not working.
=IF(E3=1,"LOW",IF(E3=MAX(E:E),"HIGH")). For all rows excet the LOW it get the #N/A.
Mike

Oh, duh, I see what you mean. (Sorry, I'm slow today.) You still have to say what you want it to display when it's not the max value. Hm, when I use your formula I get not #VALUE# but FALSE for all the values that aren't Low. What version of Excel are you using?

Regardless of the version, though, you're missing a final argument. The IF function requires three:

1) The condition being tested, in this case E3=1 or E3=MAX(E:E)
2) The value to be used if the condition is true (eg "LOW")
3) The value to be used if the condition is false.

Now, you have two IF functions here. The first one has all three arguments:The condition is E3=1, the "true" value is "LOW" and the "false" value is another IF function. So if E3=1 it displays "LOW"; if it isn't 1, if it's anything else, it displays whatever is the result of the embedded IF function.

The second IF function, however, is incomplete; it has only two arguments:The condition is E3=MAX(E:E), and the "true" value is "HIGH". But you never told it what to display if it isn't the max value. You have to tell it something, like this:What do you want Excel to display there if it's not a high or low value?

Bingo. thank you very much for the answer and your patience.

Mike