Installing the Solver Add-In

In Excel 2003, in order to install the Solver add-in, go to Tools — Add-in. In the window that appears, which is shown in Fig. 8.6, select Solver Add-in and press OK. Excel will then try to install the add-in. This may require the original Excel CD or DVD. 

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The Data Analysis add-in in Excel is another very useful Excel add-in that can improve the ability to perform certain statistical tasks. It is installed using the same procedure as installing the Solver add-in (see Sect. 8.4.1 Installing the Solver Add-In). In order to start Solver, in Excel 2007 or newer, locate the Data ribbon and go to the extreme right-hand side in the area marked Ana ly s i s. Solver should be there as shown in Fig. 8.7. In Excel 2003 or older, go to Tools —> Data Analysis. 

The SolvStat.xls macro is an Auto Open macro when you Open the document it will appear on screen and then Hide itself. It installs a new menu command. Solver Statistics..., directly under the Solver... command in the Tools menu. If the Solver Add-In has not been loaded, the Solver Statistics... command will be at the top of the menu. The command will remain in the menu imtil you exit from Excel. 

As an integral component of Microsoft Office, the spreadsheet program Excel is installed on many personal computers. Thus, a widespread basic expertise can be assumed. Although initially designed for business calculations and graphics, Excel is also extremely useful for scientific purposes. Its matrix capabilities, as well as the optimisation add-in solver, are not widely known but can often be applied in order to quickly resolve quite complex multivariate problems. We have used Excel 2002 but any other version will do equally well. 

The actual task of finding the correct free concentrations [M and [L] is undertaken by the Solver. The Solver is a very powerful tool in Excel. It can be employed to maximise and minimise functions of many variables and to find solutions to functions of many variables. The Solver can be found in the Tools menu. If it is not there, it has to be installed as an Add-In, also found... 

The standard installation of Microsoft Office does nol include two extra items the Analysis Tool Pack , and the Frontline Systems SOLVER macro. Since the GT Calculator files require complex arithmetic, the Analysis Tool Pack musl be present. Since the EXCEL Hiickel and Extended Hiickel programmes depend on optimization as required by the application of the variation principle lo flic LCAO-MO Hamiltonian, the SOLVER macro, also, is needed. Both can be added to an existing installation of the OFFICE software using the Add-ins option in the TOOLS menu. 

Step 6 The goal is to minimize F17 by choosing values C16 C18. To do that, choose Tools/Solver. You might have to add it to the Excel program if that was not done when the program was installed. A screen appears in which you insert F17 as the quantity to be affected, and choose Min as the option. Then insert CI6 C18 as the cells to be changed, and click Solve. The results are shown in Table E.8. 

In what follows we will assume that Windows and Excel have been installed in their complete, standard forms. For some applications we will also use the Solver and the Analysis Toolpak. These come with Excel, but (depending on the initial installation) may have to be loaded as an add-in. 

For finer control and to introduce two extra useful macros in EXCEL, use the GOALSEEK and SOLVER wizards in the TOOLS drop-down menu to activate internal minimization routines on the least-squares integral in cell F 9 [SOLVER is not a standard item loaded in a typical installation of the EXCEL program, so you may have to enable it using the Add-In option in the TOOLS menu]. 

It is assumed that the software for Solver has been installed in Microsoft Word initially or as an add-in. Accordingly, using the top toolbar under Tools, select Solver to obtain the pull-down menu. 

Solver is an Excel add-in that allows the user to iteratively solve systems of equations. Unfortunately, it is not installed by default on most computers. 

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