You receive a "#NUM!" error when you enter a numeric value of 27.3345 or larger or a negative value in the ERF or ERFC functions in Excel 2003

When you enter a negative number in the ERF function or in the ERFC function, you receive a "#NUM!" error in the Microsoft Excel worksheet. The "#NUM!" error occurs when you enter a negative number as the lower_limit value or as the upper_limit value.

Additionally, if you enter a numeric value of 27.3345 or larger in the lower_limit value or the upper_limit value in the ERF or ERFC functions, you may receive a #NUM! error in the Excel worksheet.

For example, if you type =erf(27.3346) in a cell, and then you type =erfc(27.3346) in the next cell, you will receive a #NUM! error.

If you type =erf(-1) in a cell, and then you type =erfc(-1) in the next cell, you will receive a #NUM! error

This problem occurs because Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and earlier versions are not designed to correctly process negative input values and input values that are larger than 27.3345. This is true even though negative input values and input values that are larger than 27.3345 are both mathematically correct.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.