C Math Functions

The C programming language is renowned for its versatility and efficiency, particularly in systems programming. One of the lesser-discussed but equally vital components of C is its built-in mathematical functions. The math.h library provides a robust set of functions that allow developers to perform complex mathematical calculations easily. This article will delve into a variety of C math functions, shedding light on their usage, importance, and practical applications.

I. Introduction

A. Overview of C Math Functions

C provides a comprehensive library of math functions that allow developers to perform various mathematical calculations, from basic arithmetic to advanced trigonometric operations. These functions streamline development processes and enhance code efficiency.

B. Importance of Mathematical Functions in C Programming

Mathematical functions are crucial in fields such as engineering, data analysis, graphics programming, and artificial intelligence. Their utility ranges from implementing algorithms to performing statistical calculations. Understanding and utilizing these functions is essential for any C programmer.

II. Math Functions

Below is a table summarizing some commonly used C math functions along with their purpose.

Function	Description
abs()	Returns the absolute value of an integer.
fabs()	Returns the absolute value of a floating-point number.
sqrt()	Calculates the square root of a number.
cbrt()	Calculates the cube root of a number.
pow()	Calculates the power of a number.
exp()	Calculates the exponential function.
log()	Returns the natural logarithm (base e).
log10()	Returns the logarithm (base 10).

A. abs()

Returns the absolute value of an integer.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {
    int num = -5;
    printf("Absolute value of %d is %d", num, abs(num));
    return 0;
}

B. fabs()

Returns the absolute value of a floating-point number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = -3.75;
    printf("Absolute value of %.2f is %.2f", num, fabs(num));
    return 0;
}

C. sqrt()

Calculates the square root of a number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 16.0;
    printf("Square root of %.2f is %.2f", num, sqrt(num));
    return 0;
}

D. cbrt()

Calculates the cube root of a number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 27.0;
    printf("Cube root of %.2f is %.2f", num, cbrt(num));
    return 0;
}

E. pow()

Calculates the power of a number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double base = 3.0;
    double exp = 4.0;
    printf("%.2f raised to the power of %.2f is %.2f", base, exp, pow(base, exp));
    return 0;
}

F. exp()

Calculates the exponential function.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 1.0;
    printf("e raised to the power of %.2f is %.2f", num, exp(num));
    return 0;
}

G. log()

Returns the natural logarithm (base e).

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 7.389;
    printf("Natural logarithm of %.3f is %.3f", num, log(num));
    return 0;
}

H. log10()

Returns the logarithm (base 10).

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 1000.0;
    printf("Logarithm base 10 of %.2f is %.2f", num, log10(num));
    return 0;
}

I. ceil()

Returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to a given number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 4.3;
    printf("Ceiling of %.2f is %.0f", num, ceil(num));
    return 0;
}

J. floor()

Returns the largest integer less than or equal to a given number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 4.7;
    printf("Floor of %.2f is %.0f", num, floor(num));
    return 0;
}

K. round()

Rounds a floating-point number to the nearest integer.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 3.6;
    printf("Round of %.2f is %.0f", num, round(num));
    return 0;
}

L. trunc()

Truncates a floating-point number to zero decimal places.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 4.9;
    printf("Truncated value of %.2f is %.0f", num, trunc(num));
    return 0;
}

M. fmod()

Returns the remainder of the division of two floating-point numbers.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num1 = 5.3, num2 = 2.0;
    printf("Remainder of %.2f / %.2f is %.2f", num1, num2, fmod(num1, num2));
    return 0;
}

N. sin()

Calculates the sine of an angle.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double angle = 30.0; // angle in degrees
    double radians = angle * (M_PI / 180.0); // convert to radians
    printf("Sine of %.2f degrees is %.2f", angle, sin(radians));
    return 0;
}

O. cos()

Calculates the cosine of an angle.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double angle = 60.0; // angle in degrees
    double radians = angle * (M_PI / 180.0); // convert to radians
    printf("Cosine of %.2f degrees is %.2f", angle, cos(radians));
    return 0;
}

P. tan()

Calculates the tangent of an angle.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double angle = 45.0; // angle in degrees
    double radians = angle * (M_PI / 180.0); // convert to radians
    printf("Tangent of %.2f degrees is %.2f", angle, tan(radians));
    return 0;
}

Q. asin()

Calculates the arcsine (inverse sine) of a value.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = 0.5;
    double radians = asin(value);
    printf("Arcsine of %.2f is %.2f radians", value, radians);
    return 0;
}

R. acos()

Calculates the arccosine (inverse cosine) of a value.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = 0.5;
    double radians = acos(value);
    printf("Arccosine of %.2f is %.2f radians", value, radians);
    return 0;
}

S. atan()

Calculates the arctangent (inverse tangent) of a value.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = 1.0;
    double radians = atan(value);
    printf("Arctangent of %.2f is %.2f radians", value, radians);
    return 0;
}

T. atan2()

Calculates the arctangent of the quotient of its arguments, handling the signs of both to determine the correct quadrant.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double y = 1.0, x = 1.0;
    double radians = atan2(y, x);
    printf("atan2(%.2f, %.2f) is %.2f radians", y, x, radians);
    return 0;
}

U. sinh()

Calculates the hyperbolic sine of a number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = 1.0;
    printf("Hyperbolic sine of %.2f is %.2f", value, sinh(value));
    return 0;
}

V. cosh()

Calculates the hyperbolic cosine of a number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = 1.0;
    printf("Hyperbolic cosine of %.2f is %.2f", value, cosh(value));
    return 0;
}

W. tanh()

Calculates the hyperbolic tangent of a number.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = 1.0;
    printf("Hyperbolic tangent of %.2f is %.2f", value, tanh(value));
    return 0;
}

X. hypot()

Calculates the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle given its sides.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double x = 3.0, y = 4.0;
    printf("Hypotenuse of triangle with sides %.2f and %.2f is %.2f", x, y, hypot(x, y));
    return 0;
}

Y. fmin()

Returns the smaller of two floating-point values.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double a = 3.0, b = 4.5;
    printf("Minimum of %.2f and %.2f is %.2f", a, b, fmin(a, b));
    return 0;
}

Z. fmax()

Returns the larger of two floating-point values.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double a = 3.0, b = 4.5;
    printf("Maximum of %.2f and %.2f is %.2f", a, b, fmax(a, b));
    return 0;
}

AA. fdim()

Returns the positive difference between two floating-point values.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double a = 3.0, b = 5.0;
    printf("Positive difference fdim(%.2f, %.2f) is %.2f", a, b, fdim(a, b));
    return 0;
}

AB. nearbyint()

Rounds a number to the nearest integer without raising inexact floating-point exceptions.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 2.5;
    printf("Nearby integer of %.1f is %.0f", num, nearbyint(num));
    return 0;
}

AC. rint()

Rounds a floating-point number to the nearest integer, and returns an integer type.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 2.7;
    printf("Rounded integer of %.1f is %.0f", num, rint(num));
    return 0;
}

AD. nextafter()

Returns the next representable floating-point value after the given value in the direction of another value.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double from = 1.0, to = 2.0;
    printf("Next value after %.1f towards %.1f is %.10f", from, to, nextafter(from, to));
    return 0;
}

AE. copysign()

Returns a value with the magnitude of the first argument and the sign of the second argument.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double value = -3.5, sign = 5.0;
    printf("Value with sign of %.1f is %.1f", sign, copysign(value, sign));
    return 0;
}

AF. isfinite()

Checks if a value is finite (not infinite or NaN).

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = 3.4;
    if (isfinite(num)) {
        printf("%.2f is finite", num);
    } else {
        printf("%.2f is not finite", num);
    }
    return 0;
}

AG. isinf()

Checks if a value is infinite.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double num = INFINITY;
    if (isinf(num)) {
        printf("%.2f is infinite", num);
    } else {
        printf("%.2f is not infinite", num);
    }
    return 0;
}

AH. isnan()

Checks if a value is NaN (Not a Number).

#include <stdio.h>

#include <math.h>

int main() {

    double num = NAN;

    if (isnan(num)) {

        printf("%.2f is NaN", num);

    } else {

        printf("%.2f