The present invention relates generally to the field of information processing by digital computers and, more particularly, to the entry and processing of information by application programs, particularly spreadsheets. The present invention is an electronic mathematical model builder that comprises a memory for storage of data, a processor for defining addressable sets of cells stored in the memory with a unique identifier, for entering data into the cells and for processing data stored in the cells, a user interface with a display for displaying sets of cells in a work area and means for creating and positioning sets of cells in the work area and inputting data to be entered into the cells, and a function builder for building mathematical relations between cells, comprising fields for user specification of a desired function by mathematical operators and input variables of the function, and set of destination cells containing values of the function.