xref: /netbsd-src/lib/libm/man/erf.3 (revision 5e4c038a45edbc7d63b7c2daa76e29f88b64a4e3)
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32.\"     from: @(#)erf.3	6.4 (Berkeley) 4/20/91
33.\"	$NetBSD: erf.3,v 1.10 2002/02/07 07:00:49 ross Exp $
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.Fd #include \*[Lt]math.h\*[Gt]
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
62calculates the error function of x; where
63.Bd -filled -offset indent
64.if n \{\
65erf(x) = 2/sqrt(pi)\(**\|integral from 0 to x of exp(\-t\(**t) dt. \}
66.if t \{\
67erf\|(x) :=
68(2/\(sr\(*p)\|\(is\d\s8\z0\s10\u\u\s8x\s10\d\|exp(\-t\u\s82\s10\d)\|dt. \}
69.Ed
70.Pp
71The
72.Fn erfc
73function calculates the complementary error function of
74.Fa x ;
75that is
76.Fn erfc
77subtracts the result of the error function
78.Fn erf x
79from 1.0.
80This is useful, since for large
81.Fa x
82places disappear.
83.Sh SEE ALSO
84.Xr math 3
85.Sh HISTORY
86The
87.Fn erf
88and
89.Fn erfc
90functions appeared in
91.Bx 4.3 .
92