Table of Contents

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

The function computes the exponential value of the given argument The function computes the value exp(x)-1 accurately even for tiny argument The function computes the value of the natural logarithm of argument The function computes the value of the logarithm of argument to base 10. The function computes the value of log(1+x) accurately even for tiny argument The computes the value of to the exponent

ERROR (due to Roundoff etc.)

exp(x), log(x), expm1(x) and log1p(x) are accurate to within an and log10(x) to within about 2 an is one in the The error in is below about 2 when its magnitude is moderate, but increases as approaches the over/underflow thresholds until almost as many bits could be lost as are occupied by the floating-point format’s exponent field; that is 8 bits for and 11 bits for IEEE 754 Double. No such drastic loss has been exposed by testing; the worst errors observed have been below 20 for 300 for 754 Double. Moderate values of are accurate enough that is exact until it is bigger than 2**56 on a 2**53 for 754.

RETURN VALUES

These functions will return the appropriate computation unless an error occurs or an argument is out of range. The functions and detect if the computed value will overflow, set the global variable and cause a reserved operand fault on a or The function checks to see if < 0 and is not an integer, in the event this is true, the global variable is set to and on the and generate a reserved operand fault. On a and is set to and the reserved operand is returned by log unless > 0, by unless > -1.

NOTES

The functions exp(x)-1 and log(1+x) are called expm1 and logp1 in on the Hewlett-Packard and Macintosh, and in Pascal, exp1 and log1 in C on Macintoshes, where they have been provided to make sure financial calculations of ((1+x)**n-1)/x, namely expm1(n*log1p(x))/x, will be accurate when x is tiny. They also provide accurate inverse hyperbolic functions. The function returns x**0 = 1 for all x including x = 0, 1 for all x including x = 0, Infinity if (not found on a and (the reserved operand on a have defined x**0 to be undefined in some or all of these cases. Here are reasons for returning x**0 = 1 always: Any program that already tests whether x is zero (or infinite or Na) before computing x**0 cannot care whether 0**0 = 1 or not. Any program that depends upon 0**0 to be invalid is dubious anyway since that expression’s meaning and, if invalid, its consequences vary from one computer system to another. Some Algebra texts (e.g. Sigler’s) define x**0 = 1 for all x, including x = 0. This is compatible with the convention that accepts a[0] as the value of polynomial p(x) = a[0]*x**0 + a[1]*x**1 + a[2]*x**2 +...+ a[n]*x**n at x = 0 rather than reject a[0]*0**0 as invalid. Analysts will accept 0**0 = 1 despite that x**y can approach anything or nothing as x and y approach 0 independently. The reason for setting 0**0 = 1 anyway is this: If x(z) and y(z) are functions analytic (expandable in power series) in z around z = 0, and if there x(0) = y(0) = 0, then x(z)**y(z) -> 1 as z -> 0. If 0**0 = 1, then 1, then infinity**0 = 1/0**0 = 1 too; and if**0 = 1/0**0 = 1 too; and then Na**0 = 1 too because x**0 = 1 for all finite and infinite x, i.e., independently of x.

SEE ALSO

HISTORY

A and functions appeared in A function appeared in The and functions appeared in


Table of Contents