QUARTILE Function (OpenOffice Calc)
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.
Compatibility
▾| Excel | ✔ |
| Gnumeric | ✔ |
| Google_sheets | ✔ |
| Libreoffice | ✔ |
| Numbers | ✔ |
| Onlyoffice | ✔ |
| Openoffice | ✔ |
| Wps | ✔ |
| Zoho | ✔ |
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.