Contact
12 programs
Explore the site

INV Function (Calligra Sheets)

Math Intermediate Calligra Sheets

Negate a value with Calligra INV. This function changes sign rather than taking a reciprocal; see checked numeric and text-conversion examples.

Verification status: 17 selected formulas were executed through the Calligra Sheets 25.04.2 calculation engine library. Supported scalar outputs and aggregation inputs were independently checked. Version 26.08.2 was source-checked only; no GUI-cell or import claim. How formula examples are checked

Name caution: Calligra INV returns the additive inverse, −x. It does not calculate the reciprocal 1/x or a matrix inverse.

Quick answer: =INV(5) gives approximately -5 in the tested Calligra calculation engine.

Availability and version history

  • Introduced: First release not established; the name is present in Calligra 2.4.0 source.
  • Supported in: Calligra Sheets 26.08.2, with no retirement established.
  • Scope: Desktop Sheets with the Math module. Examples use English semicolon-separated formulas.
  • Checked: October 14, 2026. Selected formulas ran through the official 25.04.2 engine library. Source and independent mathematics were checked. This is engine evidence, with no GUI-cell or import verification; 26.08.2 was source-checked only.

What INV returns

INV multiplies its argument by −1. A positive number becomes negative, a negative number becomes positive, and zero stays zero. The source uses the numeric multiplication helper, with conversion for scalar strings and logical values. Function-specific official reference.

Syntax and arguments

=INV(value)

Exactly one argument is required. For a reciprocal use a deliberate division formula; matrix inversion is a different operation. Registration and implementation.

Reproducible engine examples

The engine and mathematical columns are separate. Results are rounded to twelve decimal places, or thirteen significant digits in scientific notation for very small or large values. This is a display choice, not an accuracy guarantee.

Formula Engine result Independent mathematical reference
=INV(5) -5 -5
=INV(-5) 5 5
=INV(0) 0 0
=INV(1.25) -1.25 -1.25
=INV(-1.25) 1.25 1.25
=INV(1000) -1000 -1000
=INV(-0.001) 0.001 0.001
=INV(1/3) -0.333333333333 -0.333333333333

Practical worksheet

INV(5) gives −5 and INV(-5) gives 5. If a signed adjustment of 1.25 must be reversed, INV(1.25) gives −1.25. This is useful for a balancing entry when the model genuinely calls for the opposite sign.

Do not use INV(5) when the intended calculation is one fifth. That reciprocal is 1/5=0.2. Naming the intended operation in the worksheet avoids confusing two different meanings of inverse.

Advanced interpretation and checks

For finite real x, negation is its own inverse: −(−x)=x. The executed check INV(INV(3.5))-3.5 returns zero. Negation also reverses the sign of a sum, so −(a+b)=−a−b; it does not change magnitude.

For x=1/3, the engine prints a finite approximation before and after sign reversal. That does not make the original rational number exactly representable in binary. Display rounding should not be mistaken for a different sign convention or a reciprocal operation.

The executed advanced check was:

=INV(INV(3.5))-3.5

Its engine result was 0.

Boundaries and troubleshooting

The tested numeric string “9” becomes −9. TRUE becomes −1, FALSE becomes 0, and “abc” or "" converts to zero. An existing 1/0 error remains #DIV/0!. Missing or extra arguments give #VALUE!.

The published examples are scalar. Array-result probes are excluded because this engine harness does not establish complete array serialization or worksheet calculation-region behavior. No native-cell, imported-workbook or array-spill claim follows from the scalar tests.

Formula Engine result
=INV() #VALUE!
=INV(1;2) #VALUE!
=INV("9") -9
=INV("abc") 0
=INV("") 0
=INV(TRUE()) -1
=INV(FALSE()) 0
=INV(1/0) #DIV/0!

Official evidence and precision scope

The math module and value-calculation helpers are byte-identical between the inspected 25.04.2 and 26.08.2 sources. That comparison supports the source discussion but does not establish later-version execution, GUI-cell behavior or other locales.

ABS, PRODUCT, POWER.