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ROOTN Function in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026: Formula, Examples & Troubleshooting

Math Beginner SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026

Learn the PlanMaker ROOTN function, its exact syntax, examples, limits and Excel compatibility.

Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026. How formula examples are checked

Calculate an n-th root, including supported negative radicands with odd root orders.

Verification: No native PlanMaker execution was performed. SoftMaker documentation was inspected on 2026-10-13. Numeric expected outputs below are vendor examples where marked or calculations made independently; they are not screenshots, measured PlanMaker executions or proof of exact runtime behavior.

Quick formula

=ROOTN(Number [, n])

Square brackets mark the optional second argument; do not type them into a worksheet formula.

Enter a formula with =. This function name and parameter order are taken from SoftMaker’s official 2026 reference.

Arguments, data types and defaults

Argument Requirement and type Default
Number Required numeric radicand, the value whose root is sought. Negative values are documented for odd n, but not even n. —
n Optional numeric root order; defaults to 2 when omitted. SoftMaker says fractional orders are truncated to integers. 2

Reproducible formula examples

Formula (English-reference syntax) Expected result Evidence
=ROOTN(25) 5 SoftMaker 2026 vendor example/default order
=ROOTN(125,3) 5 SoftMaker 2026 vendor example
=ROOTN(-125,3) -5 SoftMaker 2026 vendor example
=ROOTN(81,4) 3 Independent arithmetic check
=ROOTN(-25) #NUM! SoftMaker 2026 vendor-documented error

Reproduce it in a worksheet

Create a root-order worksheet with A1 Number, B1 Root order, and C1 Result. Fill A2:B5 with (125,3), (81,4), (-125,3), and (25,2). In C2 enter =ROOTN(A2,B2) and copy through C5. Expected results are 5, 3, −5, and 5. The negative cube-root example is explicitly documented by SoftMaker; the rest are independent mathematical expectations supported by the function definition.

To see the default argument, put 25 in A6 and enter =ROOTN(A6) in C6: expected 5 (square root, because omitted n means 2). To test the documented truncation rule, try =ROOTN(125,3.9); because n is truncated to 3, the expected result is 5. The vendor states truncation but does not document every boundary behavior, so do not extrapolate to n=0 or negative orders without testing.

A special case: negative values

The SoftMaker manual explicitly distinguishes even from odd root orders. For even n, Number must be ≥0. It gives ROOTN(-25) as #NUM! and ROOTN(-125,3) as −5. By contrast, a positive input such as 125 with order 3 returns 5. Thus do not simply replace every ROOTN expression with a fractional POWER expression when negative inputs are possible.

Advanced uses

Recover a cube edge from volume. In E2 put cubic volume 1000; in F2 enter =ROOTN(E2,3) to obtain 10 length units.

Recover an arbitrary dimension. If a measurement is a fourth power such as 625, =ROOTN(625,4) gives 5. Match the root order to the units and formula producing the original value.

Portable calculation for nonnegative inputs. =POWER(81,1/4) yields 3 and can replace =ROOTN(81,4) mathematically. SoftMaker explicitly recommends POWER with reciprocal exponent as an Excel-compatible alternative. But the negative-odd-root example is a documented ROOTN behavior and should not be assumed equivalent to POWER(-125,1/3) in Excel.

Critical Excel workbook compatibility

This function is not an Excel function. SoftMaker explicitly warns that when a PlanMaker document containing ROOTN calculations is saved in Excel format, ROOTN calculations are replaced by their current fixed results. This is a meaningful loss of recalculation: edits to the original input cells in Excel will not update a replaced ROOTN value. Before sharing an editable workbook with Excel users, use a documented portable alternative for your numeric domain and verify the converted workbook. Do not describe ROOTN as Excel-native.

Errors, limits and troubleshooting

  • #NUM! on a negative input with an even order: documented as ROOTN(-25); inspect the sign and root order.
  • Unexpected result for n=3.9: fractional root-order argument is truncated by PlanMaker. Use a valid integer order to avoid accidental truncation.
  • Zero/negative order: The cited official entry gives no exhaustive definition or error codes for n=0 or negative orders; this review deliberately marks them native-validation pending.
  • Results stop recalculating in Excel: if exported, re-check whether the formula has become a constant; this is the documented ROOTN compatibility limitation.
  • Language/separators: example is English syntax with commas. Different locale settings could change the input convention and were not tested.

PlanMaker, Excel and editions

PlanMaker 2026 and 2024 English manuals document the same ROOTN(Number [, n]), default n=2, integer truncation, even-order nonnegative restriction and Excel export caveat. No native run, edition/OS runtime check, or round-trip test was performed. The vendor’s own notes govern Excel incompatibility; do not infer ROOTN support from functions of other spreadsheet products.

Localization and worksheet verification

The formulas above use the English-language PlanMaker reference with comma-separated arguments where necessary, period-decimal numeric examples and cell references. SoftMaker documents input/configuration settings, but the cited function page does not certify every locale’s delimiter, translated function name, decimal separator or settings combination. Use the application’s Formula → Function dialog to inspect locally accepted syntax. Date of reference inspection: 2026-10-13.

To validate natively, create the specified cells, enter each formula, capture the displayed and underlying result (including number format), and record PlanMaker version/build, product/edition, OS, locale, calculation settings and file format. There was no PlanMaker native execution in this research batch. Test any error case, relevant .xlsx export/import and formatting separately; Excel’s outcome does not prove PlanMaker’s.

Source comparison, scope and evidence

  • SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026 English help: ROOTN function — primary function signature, defaults, restrictions and vendor examples. Checked 2026-10-13.
  • SoftMaker PlanMaker 2024 English help: ROOTN function — compared; same core documented signature and examples at inspection. Checked 2026-10-13.
  • Excel: Vendor explicitly says ROOTN does not exist in Excel and exported calculations turn into fixed results; portable alternative POWER applies carefully to real-valued nonnegative cases.
  • Limitations: PlanMaker 2026 English documentation checked, but no native build/platform/edition, localized syntax or Excel round-trip was tested. Do not transfer unsupported error behavior from Excel or older versions.