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The Mathematical-Function Computation Handbook

Programming Using the MathCW Portable Software Library

Authors:

  • Describes the computation of mathematical functions in decimal arithmetic, including coverage of 256-bit floating-point formats
  • Covers a major part of the NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions, with highly accurate implementations in up to 10 floating-point formats
  • Describes implementation in the C programming language, and also provides interfaces to Ada, C#, C++, Fortran, Java, and Pascal
  • Pays extensive attention to little-understood aspects of floating-point and integer arithmetic, and to software portability, including to important historical architectures
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (27 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxvi
  2. Introduction

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 1-6
  3. Iterative solutions and other tools

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 7-22
  4. Polynomial approximations

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 23-60
  5. Implementation issues

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 61-104
  6. The floating-point environment

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 105-128
  7. Converting floating-point values to integers

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 129-156
  8. Random numbers

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 157-214
  9. Roots

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 215-242
  10. Argument reduction

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 243-266
  11. Exponential and logarithm

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 267-298
  12. Trigonometric functions

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 299-340
  13. Hyperbolic functions

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 341-352
  14. Pair-precision arithmetic

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 353-410
  15. Power function

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 411-440
  16. Complex arithmetic primitives

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 441-464
  17. Quadratic equations

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 465-474
  18. Elementary functions in complex arithmetic

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 475-520
  19. The Greek functions: gamma, psi, and zeta

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 521-592
  20. Error and probability functions

    • Nelson H. F. Beebe
    Pages 593-618

About this book

This highly comprehensive handbook provides a substantial advance in the computation of elementary and special functions of mathematics, extending the function coverage of major programming languages well beyond their international standards, including full support for decimal floating-point arithmetic. Written with clarity and focusing on the C language, the work pays extensive attention to little-understood aspects of floating-point and integer arithmetic, and to software portability, as well as to important historical architectures. It extends support to a future 256-bit, floating-point format offering 70 decimal digits of precision.

Select Topics and Features: references an exceptionally useful, author-maintained MathCW website, containing source code for the book’s software, compiled libraries for numerous systems, pre-built

C compilers, and other related materials; offers a unique approach to covering mathematical-function computation using decimal arithmetic; provides extremely versatile appendices for interfaces to numerous other languages:  Ada, C#, C++, Fortran, Java, and Pascal; presupposes only basic familiarity with computer programming in a common language, as well as early level algebra; supplies a library that readily adapts for existing scripting languages, with minimal effort; supports both binary and decimal arithmetic, in up to 10 different floating-point formats; covers a significant portion (with highly accurate implementations) of the U.S National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 10-year project to codify mathematical functions.

This highly practical text/reference is an invaluable tool for advanced undergraduates, recording many lessons of the intermingled history of computer hardw

are and software, numerical algorithms, and mathematics. In addition, professional numerical analysts and others will find the handbook of real interest and utility because it builds on research by the mathematical software communityover the last four decades.

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA

    Nelson H.F. Beebe

About the author

​Dr. Nelson H.F. Beebe is a Research Professor and Software Specialist in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah, USA. He has a diverse background in chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, systems management, and typography, having studied, worked, and taught in three countries. He has written extensive software projects in numerous programming-language, operating-system, and hardware environments. His bibliographic database work has exposed him to a wide range of journals on current research.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access