# Different R-Squared depending on MS Excel/Powerpoint? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351 "2009-12-23T19:00:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mannish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mannish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mannish)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/1 "2009-12-23T19:00:57Z")
I am working on a project for my job that requires, in part, some regression analysis performed on a data set. Shockingly (to me), the R-Squared calculated when fitting a trendline to the data in Powerpoint was almost double the R-Squared for the same data points when I used Excel. Googling possible reasons why turned up nothing. Has anyone else had this experience? If not, what could possibly be causing this? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/2 "2009-12-24T04:12:17Z")
Under the category of human error, is it possible the ranges don’t include the same data points? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/3 "2009-12-24T04:40:24Z")
If it’s not human error, then it’s probably a bug in one of the Office products. Run it in [R](http://www.r-project.org/) and see what pops out there. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/4 "2009-12-27T01:34:43Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Run it in [R](http://www.r-project.org/) and see what pops out there. This. ---
**Author:** ![Iridescent\_Orb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@Iridescent\_Orb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iridescent_Orb)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/5 "2009-12-27T06:09:47Z")
Perhaps you are (unknowingly) fitting different types of curves to the data? For example, linear in PowerPoint and logarithmic in Excel. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/6 "2009-12-28T16:33:49Z")
Pardon a small hijack. 😉 Does R do the same analysis as SAS? I used SAS on a Vax mainframe at work a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-r-squared-depending-on-ms-excel-powerpoint/522351/7 "2009-12-28T20:51:23Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > If it’s not human error, then it’s probably a bug in one of the Office products. Run it in [R](http://www.r-project.org/) and see what pops out there. Yes, spend 3 months learning how to write the command line in R that will perform the trend analysis you want. 😛