Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!uunet!munnari.oz.au!goanna!ok
From: ok@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. O'Keefe)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: # to the nth power
Message-ID: <4189@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au>
Date: 2 Nov 90 08:24:50 GMT
References: <90305.005050CJH101@psuvm.psu.edu> <15984@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Organization: Comp Sci, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia
Lines: 15

In article <15984@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, edgincd2@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Chris Edgington *Computer Science Major*) writes:
> I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but this is a neat little
> trick to take a number to a power.

>      Answer = exp(ln(Root)*Exponent);

*Please* don't do that.  If you want to raise a number x to an integral
power n, use pow(x, (double)n).  That can handle negative numbers x
(x < 0), while exp(ln(x)*n) can't.  If you want to raise a number x to
a non-integral power y, use pow(x, y).  Why?  Because it can be a _lot_
more accurate.  (If you want to know why, read Cody&Waite.)

-- 
The problem about real life is that moving one's knight to QB3
may always be replied to with a lob across the net.  --Alasdair Macintyre.