
221
Chapter 8
Algorithmic Thinking
I have no magic formula. e only way I know to win is through
hard work.
DON SHULA
From a computational viewpoint, a formula not only describes a process
for computing a value but can also be understood as the value itself. is
chapter rst describes how formulas are used in the context of spread-
sheets. Numerical operators are characterized in terms of arity, asso-
ciativity, and precedence. In addition, the formulas of a spreadsheet are
described as a model that species the relationship between the input val-
ues and the output values generated by the spreadsheet.
We later show that formulas are able to process ...