Minimize costs? Create a conference schedule with fewest early-morning sessions? In this excerpt from the book Data Smart, find out how to use Excel's free Solver add-in to do some data science ...

Excel can solve for unknown variables, either for a single cell with Goal Seek or multiple cells with Solver.

Excel can solve equations through several of its mathematical functions, but the single Excel tool that works on the largest variety of equations is the program's Solver Add-in.