OpenBSD-4.6/lib/libm/man/lgamma.3

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.\"     from: @(#)lgamma.3	6.6 (Berkeley) 12/3/92
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.Dd $Mdocdate: June 12 2008 $
.Dt LGAMMA 3
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm lgamma ,
.Nm lgammaf ,
.Nm tgamma ,
.Nm tgammaf
.Nd log gamma functions
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Fd #include <math.h>
.Ft extern int
.Fa signgam ;
.sp
.Ft double
.Fn lgamma "double x"
.Ft float
.Fn lgammaf "float x"
.Ft double
.Fn tgamma "double x"
.Ft float
.Fn tgammaf "float x"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
.Fn lgamma x
.if t \{\
returns 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 \
returns ln\||\(*G(x)|.
.Pp
The external integer
.Fa signgam
returns the sign of \(*G(x).
The
.Fn lgammaf
function is a single precision version of
.Fn lgamma .
.Pp
The
.Fn tgamma x
and
.Fn tgammaf x
functions return \(*G(x), with no effect on
.Fa signgam .
.Sh IDIOSYNCRASIES
Do not use the expression
.Sq 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
has returned can signgam be correct.
.Pp
For arguments in its range,
.Fn tgamma
is preferred, as for positive arguments
it is accurate to within one unit in the last place.
.Sh RETURN VALUES
.Fn lgamma
returns appropriate values unless an argument is out of range.
Overflow will occur for sufficiently large positive values, and
non-positive integers.
For large non-integer negative values,
.Fn tgamma
will underflow.
On the
.Tn VAX ,
the reserved operator is returned,
and
.Va errno
is set to
.Er ERANGE .
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr infnan 3 ,
.Xr math 3
.Sh STANDARDS
The
.Fn lgamma ,
.Fn lgammaf ,
.Fn tgamma ,
and
.Fn tgammaf
functions are expected to conform to
.St -isoC-99 .
.Pp
.Fn gamma
and
.Fn gammaf
are deprecated aliases for
.Fn lgamma
and
.Fn lgammaf ,
respectively.
.Sh HISTORY
The
.Fn lgamma
function first appeared in
.Bx 4.3 .
The
.Fn tgamma
function first appeared in
.Ox 4.4 ,
and is based on the
.Fn gamma
function that appeared in
.Bx 4.4
as a function to compute \(*G(x).