The Excel LOGINV function returns the inverse of the lognormal cumulative distribution — given a probability, it finds the x value. It is a legacy function; Microsoft replaced it in Excel 2010 with LOGNORM.INV, which takes the same arguments.
Syntax
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
probability | Required | A probability associated with the lognormal distribution, between 0 and 1. |
mean | Required | The mean of ln(x) — the mean of the underlying normal distribution. |
standard_dev | Required | The standard deviation of ln(x) (must be > 0). |
How to use it
The lognormal distribution describes a variable whose logarithm is normally distributed — common for prices, incomes, and other strictly positive, right-skewed data. LOGINV inverts its cumulative form: give it a probability and it returns the x at that percentile.
LOGINV is the exact reverse of LOGNORMDIST: =LOGINV(LOGNORMDIST(4,3.5,1.2),3.5,1.2) returns 4. The mean and standard_dev describe ln(x), not x itself.
Use LOGNORM.INV in Excel 2010 and later. LOGINV is kept only for backward compatibility. Microsoft recommends LOGNORM.INV, which has the same three arguments.
Try it: interactive demo
Pick a LOGINV example to see the formula and its result.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
Should I use LOGINV or LOGNORM.INV?
LOGNORM.INV in Excel 2010 or later — it takes the same probability, mean, standard_dev arguments and is the supported function. LOGINV is kept only for older workbooks.What do the mean and standard_dev arguments describe?
mean is the mean of ln(x) and standard_dev is the standard deviation of ln(x).How does LOGINV relate to LOGNORMDIST?
LOGNORMDIST turns an x into a cumulative probability; LOGINV turns that probability back into x using the same mean and standard deviation.What is the median of a lognormal distribution?
e^mean — the value returned by =LOGINV(0.5,mean,standard_dev). For mean = 3.5 that is about 33.12.Master functions like this in one day
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