I have the following setup:
A 3x3 matrix in the cells A1:C3 and a 3x1 vector in D1:D3.
I would like to calculate the determinant of a new matrix formed by the 1st column of the original matrix, the vector and the 3rd column of the original matrix.
The formula I enter is: =MDETERM(A1:A3:D1:D3:C1:C3)
I get Err:502, but the data I am using has a determinant, I have verified it by placing the cells onto a different sheet and calculated the determinant of the contiguous range.
If you need data to reproduce, use a 3x3 identity matrix (in the columns A, B, C), whose determinant is 1, and then replace the middle column by a 3x1 vector (column D, whose content is actually the same as the middle column of the identity matrix, thus the whole range results in a matrix whose determinant is known to be 1.)
New 3x3 matrix formed by the colums A, D, C (in this order).
A1:C3
it will work