gamma

gamma, gammaf, gammal - (logarithm of the) gamma function

#include <math.h> I double gamma(double x );
I float gammaf(float x );
I long double gammal(long double x ); Link with -lm.

For the definition of the Gamma function, see tgamma(3).

*BSD version

4.4BSD and FreeBSD libm have a R gamma () function that computes the Gamma function, as one would expect.

glibc version

Glibc has a R gamma () function that is equivalent to R lgamma () and computes the natural logarithm of the Gamma function. (This is for compatibility reasons only. Don't use this function.)

4.2BSD. Compatible with previous mistakes.

History

4.2BSD had a R gamma () that computed ln(|Gamma(|x|)|), leaving the sign of Gamma(|x|) in the external integer R signgam . In 4.3BSD the name was changed to R lgamma (), and the man page promises "At some time in the future the name gamma will be rehabilitated and used for the Gamma function" This did indeed happen in 4.4BSD, where R gamma () computes the Gamma function (with no effect on R signgam ). However, this came too late, and we now have R tgamma (), the "true gamma" function.

lgamma(3), signgam(3), tgamma(3)