The modern dynamic array functions ( MMULT , MAP , LAMBDA ) make Excel a legitimate prototyping environment for small neural networks.
This network has :
If your outputs never leave 0.5, your learning rate ( Alpha ) is too high or too low. The "new" Excel allows you to hook Alpha to a slider control (Developer Tab > Spin Button).
The "new" way to build neural networks in Excel is through the function, which allows you to run Python code directly in a cell using libraries like Scikit-learn or TensorFlow .
To update the weights, we calculate the dot product of the layer inputs and layer deltas, multiplied by a Learning Rate ( build neural network with ms excel new
The output is a weighted sum of the two hidden activations, plus the output bias: In F2: = (Parameters!$B$5 * D2) + (Parameters!$B$6 * E2) + Parameters!$B$7
[Input Layer] ---> [Hidden Layer] ---> [Output Layer] (Features) (Matrix Math + ReLU) (Sigmoid / Final Prediction) Receives the raw data features.
Turn on in Excel Options ( File > Options > Formulas > Enable iterative calculation ). Set Maximum Iterations to 1 .
The "learning" happens by repeatedly adjusting the and biases – the internal knobs of the network – to minimize the difference between the predicted output and the true target value. This process is known as training . The modern dynamic array functions ( MMULT ,
If you prefer not to build formulas manually, newer tools automate the process within the Excel interface: ANN-Excel Framework (2025/2026)
A1: w₁₁ B1: (initial weight, e.g., 0.5)
In this guide, we will build a (Input → Hidden → Output) capable of learning the XOR logic gate—a classic problem that proves non-linear learning. By the end, you will have a living Excel model that "learns" in front of your eyes.
Before you close the tab, understand this: Excel is the most widely used programming environment on earth. It is a massively parallel grid of 17 billion cells. When you strip away the abstraction of torch.nn.Linear , building a network in Excel forces you to confront the raw mechanics of matrix multiplication and the chain rule. The "new" way to build neural networks in
If you want to see weight gradients in Excel, create:
For organizations, data scientists can deploy deep neural network classifiers as custom functions. Microsoft Azure =AZUREML() function to access a catalog of pre-built AI models.
We will use the iterative method as it is the most "new Excel" way to simulate a loop.
You can download an example Excel file that demonstrates a simple neural network using the XOR gate example: [insert link]
Note: For dynamic arrays, use =LAMBDA(x, MAP(x, LAMBDA(v, MAX(0, v)))) to ensure it maps correctly over spilled arrays. Sigmoid Function SIGMOID Refers to: =LAMBDA(x, 1 / (1 + EXP(-x))) 5. Executing the Forward Pass