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Cashflow and TimeValue Question

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg131355] Cashflow and TimeValue Question
  • From: Dana DeLouis <dana01 at icloud.com>
  • Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2013 05:47:38 -0400 (EDT)
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Hello.   When doing Net-Present value types of problems, I seem to 
occasionaly get slightly different answers when compared to a very 
popular spreadsheet program.  The Spreadsheet program uses a standard 
365 day year, yet I don't see anything in the Mathematica documentation 
on this.
I've reduced the issue down to these two simple examples.

1.  3 simple daily cash flows in a row.
     cf[[1,1,1]] is returning the start date, or time 0.
      The days per year is a fraction, so I use Rationalize to return 
the values used for easy viewing.

cf=Cashflow[{
{{2009,12,29},a},
{{2009,12,30},b},
{{2009,12,31},c}
}];

Rationalize[TimeValue[cf,r,cf[[1,1,1]]],0]

a + b/(r+1)^(1/365) + c/(r+1)^(2/365)

It appears the program uses 365 days/year also.  This example would most 
likely match.
We just note that the year 2009 is not a leap year.

2.   However, If I change the year to 2007, which is also not a leap 
year, it appears that the program is using a 366 day year.  These types 
of problems are giving slightly different answers then spreadsheets that 
use a constant 365 day year.


cf=Cashflow[{
{{2007,12,29},a},
{{2007,12,30},b},
{{2007,12,31},c}
}];

Rationalize[TimeValue[cf,r,cf[[1,1,1]]],0]

a + b/(r+1)^(1/366) + c/(r+1)^(1/183)

Note:  it's using 366 day year...
{1,2}/366
{1/366,1/183}

Does anyone have any insight?  I'm not sure what the standard convention is.
I just note that both years are non leap years, yet different methods of calculations.
It appears to me that the random use of 366 is causing the slightly different answers.


Thanks in advance.  :>)
Mac, and Mathematical v 9.



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