G_PRODUCT Function (Gnumeric)

• Introduced: Gnumeric 0.48 release notes explicitly record this function being added.
• Supported in: Gnumeric 1.12.62; no retirement is established.
• Scope: Desktop Gnumeric with the Mathematics plugin. English comma-separated formulas are shown.
• Checked: October 14, 2026. Tables and the named advanced check were recalculated through 1.12.57 ssconvert. Current 1.12.62 source was inspected; the later release was not executed.

G_PRODUCT multiplies the numeric values supplied directly or through cell ranges. Its distinctive empty-product result is 1. Blanks, text and Boolean values are ignored in the tested cases, rather than becoming multiplicative zeroes or ones. Versioned function help.

=G_PRODUCT(x1[,x2,...])

Brackets mark optional arguments; do not type the brackets. Function implementation.

For the range examples, enter F2:F4 as 1, 2, 3; leave F5 empty. Enter G2:G4 as 1, the text abc, 2. Enter H2:H4 as Boolean TRUE, 2, 3.

Ordinary results are rounded to twelve decimal places; tiny values use scientific notation. The eight reference rows were independently checked.

Suppose two successive growth factors are 1.1 and 0.9. Their product is 0.99, so =G_PRODUCT(1.1,0.9)-1 gives approximately −0.01: a 1% decrease, not zero net change. The exact native value was −0.009999999999999898, a normal floating-point representation difference.

For a longer sequence, put numeric factors in a column and multiply the range. Use 1.05 for a 5% increase and 0.95 for a 5% decrease. A factor of zero collapses the product to zero. Decide separately how to treat missing measurements, because ignoring a blank may conceal incomplete data.

The multiplicative identity explains =G_PRODUCT() and =G_PRODUCT(F5) returning 1. An all-ignored input set therefore cannot distinguish “no usable numbers” from numeric factors whose product really is 1. If completeness matters, check the numeric input count before interpreting the product.

Sign follows the number of negative numeric factors: one negative makes the product negative, two make it positive. The reference rows show both cases. For very long products, floating-point overflow or underflow can occur even when individual factors look harmless; the tables establish the listed ordinary values, not every scale.

A quoted numeric-looking string is still text: =G_PRODUCT("3",2) returned 2, not 6. =G_PRODUCT(TRUE(),2) also returned 2. Convert intended numeric data explicitly before multiplication, and do not assume another spreadsheet’s PRODUCT coercion rules apply to G_PRODUCT. The implementation’s collection flags explicitly ignore strings, Booleans and blanks.

F5 is an actually empty cell. Listed errors are native error results, not mathematical zeroes.

• Worksheet implementation

The retained workbook contained a deliberately stale SUM cache and an uncached SUM formula, both recalculated correctly. Native evidence covers the listed 1.12.57 cases; worksheet layouts and algebraic interpretations are independently specified explanations. Other locales, direct GUI entry and later-release output were not tested.

PRODUCT, COUNT.