xref: /freebsd/lib/msun/man/lgamma.3 (revision 64890443c1b144b289df30a5123d179955bc8c92)

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.\"     from: @(#)lgamma.3	6.6 (Berkeley) 12/3/92
.\" $FreeBSD$
.\"
.Dd December 3, 1992
.Dt LGAMMA 3
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm lgamma ,
.Nm lgammaf ,
.Nm gamma ,
.Nm gammaf
.Nd log gamma functions, gamma functions
.Sh LIBRARY
.Lb libm
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.In math.h
.Ft extern int
.Fa signgam ;
.sp
.Ft double
.Fn lgamma "double x"
.Ft float
.Fn lgammaf "float x"
.Ft double
.Fn gamma "double x"
.Ft float
.Fn gammaf "float x"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
.Fn lgamma x
and
.Fn lgammaf x
.if t \{\
return ln\||\(*G(x)| where
.Bd -unfilled -offset indent
\(*G(x) = \(is\d\s8\z0\s10\u\u\s8\(if\s10\d t\u\s8x\-1\s10\d e\u\s8\-t\s10\d dt	for x > 0 and
.br
\(*G(x) = \(*p/(\(*G(1\-x)\|sin(\(*px))	for x < 1.
.Ed
.\}
.if n \
return ln\||\(*G(x)|.
.Pp
The external integer
.Fa signgam
returns the sign of \(*G(x).
.Pp
.Fn gamma x
and
.Fn gammaf x
return \(*G(x), with no effect on
.Fa signgam .
.Sh IDIOSYNCRASIES
Do not use the expression
.Dq Li signgam\(**exp(lgamma(x))
to compute g := \(*G(x).
Instead use a program like this (in C):
.Bd -literal -offset indent
lg = lgamma(x); g = signgam\(**exp(lg);
.Ed
.Pp
Only after
.Fn lgamma
or
.Fn lgammaf
has returned can signgam be correct.
.Pp
For arguments in its range,
.Fn gamma
and
.Fn gammaf
is preferred, as for positive arguments
it is accurate to within one unit in the last place.
Exponentiation of
.Fn lgamma
will lose up to 10 significant bits.
.Sh RETURN VALUES
.Fn gamma ,
.Fn gammaf ,
.Fn lgamma ,
and
.Fn lgammaf
return appropriate values unless an argument is out of range.
Overflow will occur for sufficiently large positive values, and
non-positive integers.
On the
.Tn VAX ,
the reserved operator is returned,
and
.Va errno
is set to
.Er ERANGE .
For large non-integer negative values,
.Fn gamma
will underflow.
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr math 3
.Sh HISTORY
The
.Fn lgamma
function appeared in
.Bx 4.3 .
The
.Fn gamma
function appeared in
.Bx 4.4 .
The name
.Fn gamma
was originally dedicated to the
.Fn lgamma
function, so some old code may no longer be compatible.