xref: /freebsd/lib/msun/man/erf.3 (revision d22c735e033e47d58878a9c00aa09e90e6e83f06)
1.\" Copyright (c) 1985, 1991 Regents of the University of California.
2.\" All rights reserved.
3.\"
4.\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
5.\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
6.\" are met:
7.\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
8.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
9.\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
10.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
11.\"    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
12.\" 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
13.\"    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
14.\"    without specific prior written permission.
15.\"
16.\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
17.\" ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
18.\" IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
19.\" ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
20.\" FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
21.\" DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
22.\" OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
23.\" HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
24.\" LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
25.\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
26.\" SUCH DAMAGE.
27.\"
28.\"     from: @(#)erf.3	6.4 (Berkeley) 4/20/91
29.\" $FreeBSD$
30.\"
31.Dd April 20, 1991
32.Dt ERF 3
33.Os
34.Sh NAME
35.Nm erf ,
36.Nm erff ,
37.Nm erfc ,
38.Nm erfcf
39.Nd error function operators
40.Sh LIBRARY
41.Lb libm
42.Sh SYNOPSIS
43.In math.h
44.Ft double
45.Fn erf "double x"
46.Ft float
47.Fn erff "float x"
48.Ft double
49.Fn erfc "double x"
50.Ft float
51.Fn erfcf "float x"
52.Sh DESCRIPTION
53These functions calculate the error function of
54.Fa x .
55.Pp
56The
57.Fn erf
58and the
59.Fn erff
60functions calculate the error function of x; where
61.Bd -ragged -offset indent
62.if n \{\
63erf(x) = 2/sqrt(pi)\(**\|integral from 0 to x of exp(\-t\(**t) dt.
64\}
65.if t \{\
66erf\|(x) :=
67(2/\(sr\(*p)\|\(is\d\s8\z0\s10\u\u\s8x\s10\d\|exp(\-t\u\s82\s10\d)\|dt.
68\}
69.Ed
70.Pp
71The
72.Fn erfc
73and the
74.Fn erfcf
75functions calculate the complementary error function of
76.Fa x ;
77that is
78.Fn erfc
79subtracts the result of the error function
80.Fn erf x
81from 1.0.
82This is useful, since for large
83.Fa x
84places disappear.
85.Sh SEE ALSO
86.Xr math 3
87.Sh HISTORY
88The
89.Fn erf
90and
91.Fn erfc
92functions appeared in
93.Bx 4.3 .
94