xref: /openbsd/lib/libm/man/lgamma.3 (revision df930be7)
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32.\"     from: @(#)lgamma.3	6.6 (Berkeley) 12/3/92
33.\"	$Id: lgamma.3,v 1.1.1.1 1995/10/18 08:42:50 deraadt Exp $
34.\"
35.Dd December 3, 1992
36.Dt LGAMMA 3
37.Os BSD 4.3
38.Sh NAME
39.Nm lgamma
40.Nd log gamma function
41.Sh SYNOPSIS
42.Fd #include <math.h>
43.Ft extern int
44.Fa signgam ;
45.sp
46.Ft double
47.Fn lgamma "double x"
48.Ft float
49.Fn lgammaf "float x"
50.Sh DESCRIPTION
51.Fn Lgamma x
52.if t \{\
53returns ln\||\(*G(x)| where
54.Bd -unfilled -offset indent
55\(*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
56.br
57\(*G(x) = \(*p/(\(*G(1\-x)\|sin(\(*px))	for x < 1.
58.Ed
59.\}
60.if n \
61returns ln\||\(*G(x)|.
62.Pp
63The external integer
64.Fa signgam
65returns the sign of \(*G(x).
66.Pp
67.Sh IDIOSYNCRASIES
68Do not use the expression
69.Dq Li signgam\(**exp(lgamma(x))
70to compute g := \(*G(x).
71Instead use a program like this (in C):
72.Bd -literal -offset indent
73lg = lgamma(x); g = signgam\(**exp(lg);
74.Ed
75.Pp
76Only after
77.Fn lgamma
78has returned can signgam be correct.
79.Pp
80For arguments in its range,
81.Fn gamma
82is preferred, as for positive arguments
83it is accurate to within one unit in the last place.
84Exponentiation of
85.Fn lgamma
86will lose up to 10 significant bits.
87.Sh RETURN VALUES
88.Fn Gamma
89and
90.Fn lgamma
91return appropriate values unless an argument is out of range.
92Overflow will occur for sufficiently large positive values, and
93non-positive integers.
94On the
95.Tn VAX,
96the reserved operator is returned,
97and
98.Va errno
99is set to
100.Er ERANGE
101For large non-integer negative values,
102.Fn gamma
103will underflow.
104.Sh SEE ALSO
105.Xr math 3 ,
106.Xr infnan 3
107.Sh HISTORY
108The
109.Nm lgamma
110function appeared in
111.Bx 4.3 .
112