I need help creating triplet combinations from a list of numbers that end in 5. My goal is to build a comprehensive list of numbers (maybe up to 1000 or 10000) that end in 5, then generate as many unique combinations of 3 numbers as possible from that single list.
For example, one combination could be 15, 275, 935 and another could be 45, 185, 565. It’s fine if a number appears in multiple combinations, but I don’t want any duplicates within the same triplet (like 15, 15, 275).
Currently, I’m copying my list into three columns A, B, and C in Google Sheets, which creates combinations like 25, 25, 25. This reduces my total number of valid combinations and makes the data harder to analyze.
I want to maximize the number of unique triplets while eliminating any combinations that repeat the same number within one group. Later, I plan to sum each triplet and find cases where different combinations produce the same total when a specific number appears exactly 4 times across different groups.
Is there a way to generate these combinations more efficiently in Google Sheets while avoiding the duplicate issue I’m currently facing?
Had the same problem building test cases for a financial model. It’s not just computational limits - Sheets also hits memory constraints. Google Apps Script saved me instead of native formulas. Write a script that loops through your list and generates triplets while checking for duplicates. Apps Script handles way larger datasets than formulas and gives you real control over generation. Process in batches instead of generating everything at once. Set your script to create 10,000 combinations per run, write them to the sheet, then pick up where it stopped. Prevents timeouts and memory crashes. For numbers ending in 5, build your source list programmatically too. Start with 5, 15, 25… up to your range, then generate combinations using three nested loops with duplicate checking. This scales well and keeps everything in Google’s ecosystem for your analysis later.
Google Sheets can’t handle this kind of combinatorial generation. When you’re dealing with thousands of numbers and potentially millions of combinations, it just breaks down.
I hit this exact problem last year generating product configuration combinations for our pricing engine. Sheets wasn’t built for heavy computational work like this.
You need proper automation that won’t break under the load. You want all possible triplets where each position uses any number from your list, but no repeats within the same triplet.
The algorithm’s straightforward but computationally intensive. Three nested loops through your list, skipping combinations where numbers repeat. Then export results back to Sheets.
I solved this using Latenode since it handles the heavy lifting and connects directly to Google Sheets. Build the logic to generate your numbers ending in 5, create triplet combinations with duplicate filtering, then push clean results to your spreadsheet.
Once it’s set up, you can easily scale from 1000 to 10000 numbers without rewriting formulas or hitting Sheets limitations. You can even add that secondary analysis for matching sums right into the same workflow.
Been there. Last month I needed to generate test combinations for a payment processing system and hit the same wall.
Everyone’s focusing on workarounds but missing the real issue. You’re forcing a spreadsheet to do computational work. That’s like using a calculator to edit videos.
The math here is brutal. Even with 1000 numbers ending in 5, you’re looking at roughly 166 million unique triplets. Google Sheets will crash way before that.
You need external processing that generates combinations properly, then feeds clean results back to Sheets for analysis. I built something similar using Latenode that handles the heavy computation outside of Sheets.
The workflow is simple: generate your source list of numbers ending in 5, run three nested loops to create all valid triplets while filtering duplicates, then export batches directly to your Google Sheet. No browser crashes, no memory limits.
Once it’s running, you can easily scale up your number range or modify the logic for that sum analysis you mentioned. The automation handles millions of combinations while keeping your spreadsheet responsive for actual analysis work.
the formula approach will crash your browser way before you hit 1000 numbers. I tried COMBIN and it froze everything. Test with 100 numbers first - see if your logic works before scaling up. Also, do you really need every combination? a smaller sample usually gives the same insights without frying your system.
Yeah, copying the list into three columns creates duplicates because each column picks independently - any number can show up multiple times in the same row. I ran into something similar analyzing survey data where I needed unique participant combos. The real problem is constraint checking. You need each triplet to verify all three numbers are different before accepting it. Regular spreadsheet functions can’t handle this conditional logic at scale. For quick testing, just manually create maybe 50 numbers ending in 5 first. Test your sum analysis on that small set to make sure the math works. This way you can separate the logic from the generation headaches. That secondary analysis where specific numbers appear exactly 4 times across groups? That’s way more complex - you’d need to track and filter your entire result set. I’d get basic triplet generation working first before tackling that constraint.
Google Sheets chokes on large combinatorial datasets once you hit certain limits. I ran into this analyzing lottery patterns for a stats project. Sheets just can’t handle generating millions of unique triplets. With 10,000 numbers ending in 5, you’re looking at roughly 166 billion possible combinations. That’s way beyond what Sheets can handle. Here’s what works better: break your list into smaller chunks and generate combinations bit by bit, then combine the results. You’ll still need to watch your memory usage though. But do you actually need ALL possible combinations? Depending on what you’re analyzing, random sampling might give you enough data while staying within Sheets’ limits. Just generate random triplets and check for duplicates instead of trying to list everything. Honestly, this might be too complex for Sheets. Consider generating your combinations elsewhere first, then importing the filtered results for your sum analysis.