I would like to graphically represent how some real valued data has been discretized/binned. I have an array of real numbers ranging from 1 to 35. For each value, I have a corresponding natural number in the range of -2 to 19. I would like to show all of the real numbers on a number line colored based on which natural number corresponds to each one. Is this possible in excel? If not is there something else I can use to accomplish this?
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Sound like your x-axis is the 1-35 numbers, and each point's color is determined by the -2 to 19 values. What is the y-axis? – ExactaBox Dec 04 '12 at 05:24
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There is no y-axis; the data is 1-dimensional. Essentially I have points I want to scatter on top of the real number line, and I want to color ranges of the number line certain colors. – rhombidodecahedron Dec 04 '12 at 17:05
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Since you have no y-axis, here's how I would do this: Create an Excel spreadsheet with the numbers 1-35 in Column A, and with the numbers -2 to 19 along the top of Row 1.
In each intersection of the right number with the right color value, enter a 0.
Graph this range, using a line chart with point markers. You will end up with various points along the x-axis, with different colors and shapes, according to the distribution in your table. Now you should completely remove the y-axis (no line, no fill, no labels, no ticks), gridlines, and legend.
Finally, I would edit the various data series, by removing the lines (leaving the markers), and setting all the line markers to use the same shape, with only the colors differing. 
ExactaBox
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1You say your 1-35 are real numbers, not necessarily integers. Use an XY scatter chart type instead. Set the x-axis major unit to 1. – ExactaBox Dec 04 '12 at 17:33
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You can fudge conditional formatting in Excel charts. Check out the "Conditionally Formatted Line Chart" example in this tutorial:
Jon Peltier
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