CHIINV Function (LibreOffice Calc — Legacy)
The CHIINV function returns the inverse of the right‑tailed chi-square distribution. It is a legacy function preserved for compatibility with older spreadsheets and has been replaced by CHISQ.INV.RT.
Compatibility
▾| Excel | ✔ |
| Gnumeric | ✔ |
| Google_sheets | ✔ |
| Libreoffice | ✔ |
| Numbers | ✖ |
| Onlyoffice | ✔ |
| Openoffice | ✔ |
| Wps | ✔ |
| Zoho | ✔ |
What the CHIINV Function Does ▾
- Computes the inverse of the right‑tailed chi-square distribution
- Returns the critical chi-square value for hypothesis testing
- Equivalent to:
CHISQ.INV.RT(probability; degrees) - Used in goodness‑of‑fit tests, variance tests, and statistical modeling
Syntax ▾
CHIINV(probability; degrees_freedom)
Arguments
-
probability:
Right‑tail probability (0 < p < 1). -
degrees_freedom:
Degrees of freedom (must be ≥ 1).
Basic Examples ▾
Critical value for 5% right‑tail
=CHIINV(0.05; 10)
→ 18.307
Using cell references
=CHIINV(A1; B1)
Compare with modern function
=CHISQ.INV.RT(0.05; 10)
Advanced Examples ▾
Compute a two‑tailed critical region
=CHIINV(0.025; df) → upper tail
=CHISQ.INV(0.025; df) → lower tail
Goodness‑of‑fit rejection threshold
=IF(TestStatistic > CHIINV(0.05; df); "Reject H0"; "Fail to Reject")
Convert from left‑tail probability
=CHIINV(1 - p; df)
Validate with CHIDIST
=CHIDIST(CHIINV(p; df); df)
→ returns p
Edge Cases and Behavior Details ▾
CHIINV returns a positive real number
Accepts:
- 0 < probability < 1
- degrees_freedom ≥ 1
Behavior details
- Right‑tail only
- Not symmetric
- Deprecated in favor of CHISQ.INV.RT
- Uses internal gamma‑function approximations
Invalid input → Err:502
CHIINV of an error → error propagates
Common Errors and Fixes ▾
Err:502 — Invalid argument
Cause:
- probability ≤ 0 or ≥ 1
- degrees_freedom < 1
- Non-numeric input
Fix:
- Ensure 0 < p < 1
- Validate df ≥ 1
- Convert text with VALUE
Unexpected critical values
Cause:
- Confusing left‑tail vs right‑tail
Fix:
- Use CHISQ.INV for left‑tail
- Use CHISQ.INV.RT for right‑tail
Best Practices ▾
- Prefer CHISQ.INV.RT for new spreadsheets
- Use CHIINV only for legacy compatibility
- Validate probability inputs carefully
- Use CHISQ.TEST for full hypothesis testing
- Use CHIDIST for right‑tail probabilities
CHIINV is essential for maintaining compatibility with older statistical spreadsheets, but modern models should use CHISQ.INV.RT for accuracy and clarity.
Related Patterns and Alternatives ▾
- CHISQ.INV.RT — modern right‑tail inverse
- CHISQ.INV — left‑tail inverse
- CHISQ.DIST.RT — right‑tail probability
- CHISQ.TEST — full chi-square test
- FDIST / T.INV — related distributions
By understanding CHIINV, you can maintain compatibility with legacy statistical workflows while transitioning to modern chi-square functions.