IMDIV
Supported, behaves as documentedCategory: Engineering · Last tested 2026-09-01
Real compatibility results for the IMDIV function: executed in Excel for the web, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc, with desktop Excel behavior from Microsoft’s official documentation (we do not run desktop Excel — Excel for the web is a different application and is executed separately). Syntax and links to that documentation are below.
Support matrix
| Engine | Documented | Live-tested | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel (desktop) | Yes | No — documented only | n/a |
| Excel for the web | — | Yes (recalc, 2026-09-01) | Supported, behaves as documented |
| Google Sheets | Yes | Yes (Drive import, 2026-08-31) | Supported, behaves as documented |
| LibreOffice Calc | Yes | Yes (25.8.7.3, 2026-08-31) | Supported, behaves as documented |
LibreOffice version history
We executed the same test cases under each LibreOffice release to show exactly when IMDIV’s support changed — not documentation claims, real results.
| LibreOffice version | Verdict | Tested |
|---|---|---|
| 24.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
| 24.8.7.2 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
| 25.2.0.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
| 25.8.7.3 | Supported, behaves as documented | 2026-08-31 |
Executed test cases
Excel for the web (executed 2026-09-01 via OneDrive recalculation)
These values come from Excel for the web, not from desktop Excel. They are two different implementations of the calculation engine, and this run measured only the web one: the corpus was uploaded to OneDrive as .xlsx, recalculated by Excel for the web on open, and downloaded again for readback. Excel for the web is a rolling service with no pinnable version, so the run is identified by its date. Where a value here disagrees with the Expected column — which is Microsoft’s documentation of the desktop product — we cannot tell you whether the web engine diverges from the desktop one or the documentation is wrong about both, because we do not run desktop Excel.
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =IMDIV("-238+240i","10+24i") | Microsoft's documented worked example: the quotient of two complex numbers | 5+12i | 5+12iProvenanceMicrosoft publishes '=IMDIV("-238+240i","10+24i")' with the result 5+12i. Derived independently from the documented quotient formula, which multiplies numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator: (-238+240i)(10-24i)/(10^2+24^2) = (-2380 + 5712i + 2400i + 5760)/676 = (3380 + 8112i)/676 = 5 + 12i, an exact result in integers. Microsoft chose the operands so the answer is exact, which makes this a strong test: any rounding at all in the division shows up as a long decimal string instead of "5+12i". EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
| =IMDIV("1+i","1-i") | A quotient that is exactly the imaginary unit, which must print as bare "i" | i | iProvenanceDerived exactly: (1+i)/(1-i) = (1+i)^2/((1-i)(1+i)) = 2i/2 = i. The point of the case is the FORMATTING of a result whose real part is zero and whose imaginary coefficient is exactly 1: Excel's format prints "i", not "0+1i", "1i" or "0+i". This is the single most formatting-sensitive value in the whole complex family -- an adjacent function, IMSQRT, is where all four LibreOffice builds (24.2.0.3, 24.8.7.2, 25.2.0.3, 25.8.7.3) actually split in this batch, printing IMSQRT("-1") as "1i" on 24.2.0.3 and 24.8.7.2 but as "i" on 25.2.0.3 and 25.8.7.3. EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
| =IMDIV("6","3") | Two real operands, whose quotient must come back as a bare real number | 2 | 2Provenance6/3 = 2 with a zero imaginary part, so the documented format prints "2" rather than "2+0i". Included because it is the degenerate case an implementation is most likely to route through the general conjugate formula and emit with a spurious imaginary term. EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
Google Sheets (executed 2026-08-31 via Drive import)
Google Sheets is a rolling service with no pinnable version, so this run is identified by its date. The corpus was imported to Drive as .xlsx, recalculated by Sheets, and exported back for readback.
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =IMDIV("-238+240i","10+24i") | Microsoft's documented worked example: the quotient of two complex numbers | 5+12i | 5+12iProvenanceMicrosoft publishes '=IMDIV("-238+240i","10+24i")' with the result 5+12i. Derived independently from the documented quotient formula, which multiplies numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator: (-238+240i)(10-24i)/(10^2+24^2) = (-2380 + 5712i + 2400i + 5760)/676 = (3380 + 8112i)/676 = 5 + 12i, an exact result in integers. Microsoft chose the operands so the answer is exact, which makes this a strong test: any rounding at all in the division shows up as a long decimal string instead of "5+12i". EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
| =IMDIV("1+i","1-i") | A quotient that is exactly the imaginary unit, which must print as bare "i" | i | iProvenanceDerived exactly: (1+i)/(1-i) = (1+i)^2/((1-i)(1+i)) = 2i/2 = i. The point of the case is the FORMATTING of a result whose real part is zero and whose imaginary coefficient is exactly 1: Excel's format prints "i", not "0+1i", "1i" or "0+i". This is the single most formatting-sensitive value in the whole complex family -- an adjacent function, IMSQRT, is where all four LibreOffice builds (24.2.0.3, 24.8.7.2, 25.2.0.3, 25.8.7.3) actually split in this batch, printing IMSQRT("-1") as "1i" on 24.2.0.3 and 24.8.7.2 but as "i" on 25.2.0.3 and 25.8.7.3. EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
| =IMDIV("6","3") | Two real operands, whose quotient must come back as a bare real number | 2 | 2Provenance6/3 = 2 with a zero imaginary part, so the documented format prints "2" rather than "2+0i". Included because it is the degenerate case an implementation is most likely to route through the general conjugate formula and emit with a spurious imaginary term. EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
LibreOffice Calc 25.8.7.3 (tested 2026-08-31)
| Formula | Description | Result | Expected | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =IMDIV("-238+240i","10+24i") | Microsoft's documented worked example: the quotient of two complex numbers | 5+12i | 5+12iProvenanceMicrosoft publishes '=IMDIV("-238+240i","10+24i")' with the result 5+12i. Derived independently from the documented quotient formula, which multiplies numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator: (-238+240i)(10-24i)/(10^2+24^2) = (-2380 + 5712i + 2400i + 5760)/676 = (3380 + 8112i)/676 = 5 + 12i, an exact result in integers. Microsoft chose the operands so the answer is exact, which makes this a strong test: any rounding at all in the division shows up as a long decimal string instead of "5+12i". EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
| =IMDIV("1+i","1-i") | A quotient that is exactly the imaginary unit, which must print as bare "i" | i | iProvenanceDerived exactly: (1+i)/(1-i) = (1+i)^2/((1-i)(1+i)) = 2i/2 = i. The point of the case is the FORMATTING of a result whose real part is zero and whose imaginary coefficient is exactly 1: Excel's format prints "i", not "0+1i", "1i" or "0+i". This is the single most formatting-sensitive value in the whole complex family -- an adjacent function, IMSQRT, is where all four LibreOffice builds (24.2.0.3, 24.8.7.2, 25.2.0.3, 25.8.7.3) actually split in this batch, printing IMSQRT("-1") as "1i" on 24.2.0.3 and 24.8.7.2 but as "i" on 25.2.0.3 and 25.8.7.3. EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
| =IMDIV("6","3") | Two real operands, whose quotient must come back as a bare real number | 2 | 2Provenance6/3 = 2 with a zero imaginary part, so the documented format prints "2" rather than "2+0i". Included because it is the degenerate case an implementation is most likely to route through the general conjugate formula and emit with a spurious imaginary term. EXCEL'S COMPLEX-STRING FORMAT, which this corpus derives rather than assumes: a result is rendered as the real part, then the sign, then the imaginary coefficient followed by the suffix, with each part printed to at most 15 significant digits and trailing zeros stripped; a zero real part is omitted entirely, a zero imaginary part reduces the result to a bare real number, and an imaginary coefficient of exactly 1 or -1 prints as "i" / "-i" with no digit. That rule was not taken on faith -- it was written as a formatter in Python and validated against SEVEN independently published Microsoft strings in this batch alone (IMCOS, IMCOSH, IMCOT, IMCSC, IMCSCH, IMEXP and IMLN), which it reproduces byte for byte, before being used to predict any value this corpus asserts. String results are compared exactly, so a formatting-only difference (a trailing zero, "1i" for "i", a different digit count) fails the case and is recorded as its own divergence class, separate from a wrong numeric value. |
Matched |
Docs & syntax
- Excel (desktop): official documentation
- Google Sheets: official documentation
- LibreOffice Calc: official documentation