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QUARTILE Function (OpenOffice Calc)

Statistical Intermediate OpenOffice Calc OpenOffice.org 3.0

The QUARTILE function in OpenOffice Calc returns the value at a specified quartile of a dataset. Learn syntax, quartile definitions, interpolation rules, examples, and best practices.

Verification status: Consult the documentation and examples below. Native application testing has not been documented for this guide. How formula examples are checked

The QUARTILE function in OpenOffice Calc returns the value at a specified quartile of a dataset. Quartiles divide data into four equal parts and are essential for distribution analysis, box‑and‑whisker plots, outlier detection, and statistical summaries.

What the QUARTILE Function Does

  • Returns the value at a specified quartile
  • Uses inclusive percentile calculation
  • Supports quartiles 0 through 4
  • Useful for distribution analysis, grading, and outlier detection
  • Works across sheets

QUARTILE is ideal when you need structured distribution breakdowns.

Syntax

QUARTILE(range; type)

Arguments:

  • range — The dataset
  • type — Which quartile to return:
Type Meaning Equivalent Percentile
0 Minimum 0
1 First quartile (Q1) 0.25
2 Median (Q2) 0.5
3 Third quartile (Q3) 0.75
4 Maximum 1
OpenOffice Calc uses inclusive quartile logic, equivalent to Excel’s QUARTILE.INC.

How Quartile Interpolation Works

QUARTILE internally uses the same interpolation method as PERCENTILE:

[ x = x_{\text{lower}} + (fraction \cdot (x_{\text{upper}} - x_{\text{lower}})) ]

This ensures smooth quartile values even with small datasets.

Basic Examples

First quartile (Q1)

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 1)

Median (Q2)

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 2)

Third quartile (Q3)

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 3)

Minimum and maximum

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 0)
=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 4)

Advanced Examples

Quartile across sheets

=QUARTILE(Sheet1.A1:A500; 3)

Dynamic quartile selection

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; B1)

Where B1 contains a value from 0 to 4.

Conditional quartile (workaround)

Quartile of B where region = “North”:

=QUARTILE(IF(A1:A100="North"; B1:B100); 1)

Confirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

Quartile of filtered data

=QUARTILE(IF(SUBTOTAL(103; OFFSET(A1; ROW(A1:A100)-ROW(A1); 0)); A1:A100); 3)

Confirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

Quartiles for box‑and‑whisker plots

  • Minimum → QUARTILE(range; 0)
  • Q1 → QUARTILE(range; 1)
  • Median → QUARTILE(range; 2)
  • Q3 → QUARTILE(range; 3)
  • Maximum → QUARTILE(range; 4)

Quartile‑based outlier detection

Upper bound:

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 3) + 1.5 * (QUARTILE(A1:A100; 3) - QUARTILE(A1:A100; 1))

Lower bound:

=QUARTILE(A1:A100; 1) - 1.5 * (QUARTILE(A1:A100; 3) - QUARTILE(A1:A100; 1))

Common Errors and Fixes

QUARTILE returns Err:502 (Invalid argument)

Occurs when:

  • Type is outside 0–4
  • Range contains no numeric values
  • Type is text
  • Range is malformed

QUARTILE returns unexpected values

Possible causes:

  • Dataset not sorted (sorting not required but helps interpretation)
  • Text numbers not converted to numeric
  • Hidden blanks affecting interpolation

QUARTILE ignores values you expected it to include

QUARTILE ignores:

  • Text numbers ("123")
  • Empty cells
  • Logical values
  • Errors

QUARTILE includes values you expected it to ignore

QUARTILE includes:

  • Dates
  • Times
  • Numeric results of formulas

Err:508 — Missing parenthesis

Usually caused by:

  • Missing )
  • Using commas instead of semicolons

Best Practices

  • Use quartiles for distribution summaries and box plots
  • Use Q1 and Q3 for outlier detection
  • Use array formulas for conditional quartiles
  • Convert imported text numbers to real numbers
  • Use named ranges for cleaner formulas
  • Combine quartiles with PERCENTILE for deeper analysis
Quartiles are the backbone of box‑and‑whisker plots, outlier detection, and distribution modeling — mastering them unlocks powerful statistical insight.