Which DAX function would you use to calculate the sum of a column?

The SUM() function is specifically designed to calculate the total sum of a column in a data model. When you utilize this function in DAX (Data Analysis Expressions), it aggregates all the values in the specified column and returns their total. This is essential for any analysis where you need to understand the overall magnitude of values, such as total sales, total costs, or any numerical metrics that require a summation.

The other functions serve different purposes: AVERAGE() calculates the mean of the values, COUNT() counts the number of entries in a column regardless of their values, and MAX() finds the highest value in a column. Each of these functions is useful in its own right, but they do not serve the role of summing values, which is the core function of SUM().