xref: /freebsd/lib/msun/man/erf.3 (revision ae83180158c4c937f170e31eff311b18c0286a93)
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32.\"     from: @(#)erf.3	6.4 (Berkeley) 4/20/91
33.\" $FreeBSD$
34.\"
35.Dd April 20, 1991
36.Dt ERF 3
37.Os
38.Sh NAME
39.Nm erf ,
40.Nm erff ,
41.Nm erfc ,
42.Nm erfcf
43.Nd error function operators
44.Sh LIBRARY
45.Lb libm
46.Sh SYNOPSIS
47.In math.h
48.Ft double
49.Fn erf "double x"
50.Ft float
51.Fn erff "float x"
52.Ft double
53.Fn erfc "double x"
54.Ft float
55.Fn erfcf "float x"
56.Sh DESCRIPTION
57These functions calculate the error function of
58.Fa x .
59.Pp
60The
61.Fn erf
62and the
63.Fn erff
64functions calculate the error function of x; where
65.Bd -ragged -offset indent
66.if n \{\
67erf(x) = 2/sqrt(pi)\(**\|integral from 0 to x of exp(\-t\(**t) dt. \}
68.if t \{\
69erf\|(x) :=
70(2/\(sr\(*p)\|\(is\d\s8\z0\s10\u\u\s8x\s10\d\|exp(\-t\u\s82\s10\d)\|dt. \}
71.Ed
72.Pp
73The
74.Fn erfc
75and the
76.Fn erfcf
77functions calculate the complementary error function of
78.Fa x ;
79that is
80.Fn erfc
81subtracts the result of the error function
82.Fn erf x
83from 1.0.
84This is useful, since for large
85.Fa x
86places disappear.
87.Sh SEE ALSO
88.Xr math 3
89.Sh HISTORY
90The
91.Fn erf
92and
93.Fn erfc
94functions appeared in
95.Bx 4.3 .
96