xref: /freebsd/lib/msun/man/lgamma.3 (revision 64890443c1b144b289df30a5123d179955bc8c92)
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32.\"     from: @(#)lgamma.3	6.6 (Berkeley) 12/3/92
33.\" $FreeBSD$
34.\"
35.Dd December 3, 1992
36.Dt LGAMMA 3
37.Os
38.Sh NAME
39.Nm lgamma ,
40.Nm lgammaf ,
41.Nm gamma ,
42.Nm gammaf
43.Nd log gamma functions, gamma functions
44.Sh LIBRARY
45.Lb libm
46.Sh SYNOPSIS
47.In math.h
48.Ft extern int
49.Fa signgam ;
50.sp
51.Ft double
52.Fn lgamma "double x"
53.Ft float
54.Fn lgammaf "float x"
55.Ft double
56.Fn gamma "double x"
57.Ft float
58.Fn gammaf "float x"
59.Sh DESCRIPTION
60.Fn lgamma x
61and
62.Fn lgammaf x
63.if t \{\
64return ln\||\(*G(x)| where
65.Bd -unfilled -offset indent
66\(*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
67.br
68\(*G(x) = \(*p/(\(*G(1\-x)\|sin(\(*px))	for x < 1.
69.Ed
70.\}
71.if n \
72return ln\||\(*G(x)|.
73.Pp
74The external integer
75.Fa signgam
76returns the sign of \(*G(x).
77.Pp
78.Fn gamma x
79and
80.Fn gammaf x
81return \(*G(x), with no effect on
82.Fa signgam .
83.Sh IDIOSYNCRASIES
84Do not use the expression
85.Dq Li signgam\(**exp(lgamma(x))
86to compute g := \(*G(x).
87Instead use a program like this (in C):
88.Bd -literal -offset indent
89lg = lgamma(x); g = signgam\(**exp(lg);
90.Ed
91.Pp
92Only after
93.Fn lgamma
94or
95.Fn lgammaf
96has returned can signgam be correct.
97.Pp
98For arguments in its range,
99.Fn gamma
100and
101.Fn gammaf
102is preferred, as for positive arguments
103it is accurate to within one unit in the last place.
104Exponentiation of
105.Fn lgamma
106will lose up to 10 significant bits.
107.Sh RETURN VALUES
108.Fn gamma ,
109.Fn gammaf ,
110.Fn lgamma ,
111and
112.Fn lgammaf
113return appropriate values unless an argument is out of range.
114Overflow will occur for sufficiently large positive values, and
115non-positive integers.
116On the
117.Tn VAX ,
118the reserved operator is returned,
119and
120.Va errno
121is set to
122.Er ERANGE .
123For large non-integer negative values,
124.Fn gamma
125will underflow.
126.Sh SEE ALSO
127.Xr math 3
128.Sh HISTORY
129The
130.Fn lgamma
131function appeared in
132.Bx 4.3 .
133The
134.Fn gamma
135function appeared in
136.Bx 4.4 .
137The name
138.Fn gamma
139was originally dedicated to the
140.Fn lgamma
141function, so some old code may no longer be compatible.
142