Module

When mathn is required, the Math module changes as follows:

Standard Math module behaviour:

Math.sqrt(4/9)     # => 0.0
Math.sqrt(4.0/9.0) # => 0.666666666666667
Math.sqrt(- 4/9)   # => Errno::EDOM: Numerical argument out of domain - sqrt

After require ‘mathn’, this is changed to:

require 'mathn'
Math.sqrt(4/9)      # => 2/3
Math.sqrt(4.0/9.0)  # => 0.666666666666667
Math.sqrt(- 4/9)    # => Complex(0, 2/3)

The Math module contains module functions for basic trigonometric and transcendental functions. See class Float for a list of constants that define Ruby’s floating point accuracy.

Domains and codomains are given only for real (not complex) numbers.

Constants

PI

Definition of the mathematical constant PI as a Float number.

E

Definition of the mathematical constant E (e) as a Float number.

Class Methods

Computes the arc cosine of x. Returns 0..PI.

Domain: [-1, 1]

Codomain: [0, PI]

Math.acos(0) == Math::PI/2  #=> true

Computes the inverse hyperbolic cosine of x.

Domain: [1, INFINITY)

Codomain: [0, INFINITY)

Math.acosh(1) #=> 0.0

Computes the arc sine of x. Returns -PI/2..PI/2.

Domain: [-1, -1]

Codomain: [-PI/2, PI/2]

Math.asin(1) == Math::PI/2  #=> true

Computes the inverse hyperbolic sine of x.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.asinh(1) #=> 0.881373587019543

Computes the arc tangent of x. Returns -PI/2..PI/2.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-PI/2, PI/2)

Math.atan(0) #=> 0.0

Computes the arc tangent given y and x. Returns a Float in the range -PI..PI. Return value is a angle in radians between the positive x-axis of cartesian plane and the point given by the coordinates (x, y) on it.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: [-PI, PI]

Math.atan2(-0.0, -1.0) #=> -3.141592653589793
Math.atan2(-1.0, -1.0) #=> -2.356194490192345
Math.atan2(-1.0, 0.0)  #=> -1.5707963267948966
Math.atan2(-1.0, 1.0)  #=> -0.7853981633974483
Math.atan2(-0.0, 1.0)  #=> -0.0
Math.atan2(0.0, 1.0)   #=> 0.0
Math.atan2(1.0, 1.0)   #=> 0.7853981633974483
Math.atan2(1.0, 0.0)   #=> 1.5707963267948966
Math.atan2(1.0, -1.0)  #=> 2.356194490192345
Math.atan2(0.0, -1.0)  #=> 3.141592653589793
Math.atan2(INFINITY, INFINITY)   #=> 0.7853981633974483
Math.atan2(INFINITY, -INFINITY)  #=> 2.356194490192345
Math.atan2(-INFINITY, INFINITY)  #=> -0.7853981633974483
Math.atan2(-INFINITY, -INFINITY) #=> -2.356194490192345

Computes the inverse hyperbolic tangent of x.

Domain: (-1, 1)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.atanh(1) #=> Infinity

Returns the cube root of x.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

-9.upto(9) {|x|
  p [x, Math.cbrt(x), Math.cbrt(x)**3]
}
#=> [-9, -2.0800838230519, -9.0]
#   [-8, -2.0, -8.0]
#   [-7, -1.91293118277239, -7.0]
#   [-6, -1.81712059283214, -6.0]
#   [-5, -1.7099759466767, -5.0]
#   [-4, -1.5874010519682, -4.0]
#   [-3, -1.44224957030741, -3.0]
#   [-2, -1.25992104989487, -2.0]
#   [-1, -1.0, -1.0]
#   [0, 0.0, 0.0]
#   [1, 1.0, 1.0]
#   [2, 1.25992104989487, 2.0]
#   [3, 1.44224957030741, 3.0]
#   [4, 1.5874010519682, 4.0]
#   [5, 1.7099759466767, 5.0]
#   [6, 1.81712059283214, 6.0]
#   [7, 1.91293118277239, 7.0]
#   [8, 2.0, 8.0]
#   [9, 2.0800838230519, 9.0]

Computes the cosine of x (expressed in radians). Returns a Float in the range -1.0..1.0.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: [-1, 1]

Math.cos(Math::PI) #=> -1.0

Computes the hyperbolic cosine of x (expressed in radians).

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: [1, INFINITY)

Math.cosh(0) #=> 1.0

Calculates the error function of x.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-1, 1)

Math.erf(0) #=> 0.0

Calculates the complementary error function of x.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (0, 2)

Math.erfc(0) #=> 1.0

Returns e**x.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (0, INFINITY)

Math.exp(0)       #=> 1.0
Math.exp(1)       #=> 2.718281828459045
Math.exp(1.5)     #=> 4.4816890703380645

Returns a two-element array containing the normalized fraction (a Float) and exponent (a Fixnum) of x.

fraction, exponent = Math.frexp(1234)   #=> [0.6025390625, 11]
fraction * 2**exponent                  #=> 1234.0

Calculates the gamma function of x.

Note that gamma(n) is same as fact(n-1) for integer n > 0. However gamma(n) returns float and can be an approximation.

def fact(n) (1..n).inject(1) {|r,i| r*i } end
1.upto(26) {|i| p [i, Math.gamma(i), fact(i-1)] }
#=> [1, 1.0, 1]
#   [2, 1.0, 1]
#   [3, 2.0, 2]
#   [4, 6.0, 6]
#   [5, 24.0, 24]
#   [6, 120.0, 120]
#   [7, 720.0, 720]
#   [8, 5040.0, 5040]
#   [9, 40320.0, 40320]
#   [10, 362880.0, 362880]
#   [11, 3628800.0, 3628800]
#   [12, 39916800.0, 39916800]
#   [13, 479001600.0, 479001600]
#   [14, 6227020800.0, 6227020800]
#   [15, 87178291200.0, 87178291200]
#   [16, 1307674368000.0, 1307674368000]
#   [17, 20922789888000.0, 20922789888000]
#   [18, 355687428096000.0, 355687428096000]
#   [19, 6.402373705728e+15, 6402373705728000]
#   [20, 1.21645100408832e+17, 121645100408832000]
#   [21, 2.43290200817664e+18, 2432902008176640000]
#   [22, 5.109094217170944e+19, 51090942171709440000]
#   [23, 1.1240007277776077e+21, 1124000727777607680000]
#   [24, 2.5852016738885062e+22, 25852016738884976640000]
#   [25, 6.204484017332391e+23, 620448401733239439360000]
#   [26, 1.5511210043330954e+25, 15511210043330985984000000]

Returns sqrt(x**2 + y**2), the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle with sides x and y.

Math.hypot(3, 4)   #=> 5.0

Returns the value of fraction*(2**exponent).

fraction, exponent = Math.frexp(1234)
Math.ldexp(fraction, exponent)   #=> 1234.0

Calculates the logarithmic gamma of x and the sign of gamma of x.

Math.lgamma(x) is same as

[Math.log(Math.gamma(x).abs), Math.gamma(x) < 0 ? -1 : 1]

but avoid overflow by Math.gamma(x) for large x.

Math.lgamma(0) #=> [Infinity, 1]

Returns the logarithm of x. If additional second argument is given, it will be the base of logarithm. Otherwise it is e (for the natural logarithm).

Domain: (0, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.log(0)          #=> -Infinity
Math.log(1)          #=> 0.0
Math.log(Math::E)    #=> 1.0
Math.log(Math::E**3) #=> 3.0
Math.log(12, 3)      #=> 2.2618595071429146

Returns the base 10 logarithm of x.

Domain: (0, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.log10(1)       #=> 0.0
Math.log10(10)      #=> 1.0
Math.log10(10**100) #=> 100.0

Returns the base 2 logarithm of x.

Domain: (0, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.log2(1)      #=> 0.0
Math.log2(2)      #=> 1.0
Math.log2(32768)  #=> 15.0
Math.log2(65536)  #=> 16.0

Compute square root of a non negative number. This method is internally used by Math.sqrt.

Computes the sine of x (expressed in radians). Returns a Float in the range -1.0..1.0.

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: [-1, 1]

Math.sin(Math::PI/2) #=> 1.0

Computes the hyperbolic sine of x (expressed in radians).

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.sinh(0) #=> 0.0

Computes the square root of a. It makes use of Complex and Rational to have no rounding errors if possible.

Math.sqrt(4/9)      # => 2/3
Math.sqrt(- 4/9)    # => Complex(0, 2/3)
Math.sqrt(4.0/9.0)  # => 0.666666666666667

Computes the tangent of x (expressed in radians).

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Math.tan(0) #=> 0.0

Computes the hyperbolic tangent of x (expressed in radians).

Domain: (-INFINITY, INFINITY)

Codomain: (-1, 1)

Math.tanh(0) #=> 0.0
Instance Methods

Compute square root of a non negative number. This method is internally used by Math.sqrt.

Computes the square root of a. It makes use of Complex and Rational to have no rounding errors if possible.

Math.sqrt(4/9)      # => 2/3
Math.sqrt(- 4/9)    # => Complex(0, 2/3)
Math.sqrt(4.0/9.0)  # => 0.666666666666667