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From: sowa@amdew.llnl.gov (Erik C. Sowa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: Gamma function
Message-ID: <1991Feb4.113326@amdew.llnl.gov>
Date: 4 Feb 91 19:33:26 GMT
References: <9483@dog.ee.lbl.gov>
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Organization: LLNL Chemistry and Materials Science
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In article <9483@dog.ee.lbl.gov>, austern@ux5.lbl.gov (Matt Austern) writes:
>From: austern@ux5.lbl.gov (Matt Austern)
>The gamma function is one of the standard "special functions" of
>complex analysis.  It is therefore a little bit frustrating to see
>that the gamma function on the HP 48 only accepts real arguments.
>(Not that I'm complaining, of course: HP is the only company I know
>of that puts the gamma function on its calculators at all.)

>This program uses an algorithm from Numerical Recipes.  (Press, et.

Hooray! A program of use to practicing scientists and engineers!  And
it's on the scale appropriate for a (fancy and powerful) pocket
calculator.

Abramowitz and Stegun is also invaluable for these kinds of special
functions. I only wish they would publish a "portable" edition w/o those
numerical tables which an hp48sx can easily reproduce. Just say NO to
interpolation...

-- erik sowa (sowa@amdew.llnl.gov,sowa@cms1.llnl.gov) 
I'm not stupid. I've even heard of Harvey Mudd College. In fact, they
gave me a degree. Big deal. It's what you do with your education that
counts.