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From: podar@sbcs.UUCP (Sunil Podar)
Newsgroups: net.text
Subject: calculating sqrt in TeX? is it possible?
Message-ID: <36@sbcs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 28-Dec-85 22:21:40 EST
Article-I.D.: sbcs.36
Posted: Sat Dec 28 22:21:40 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Dec-85 20:11:41 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Computer Science Dept, SUNY@Stony Brook
Lines: 26

Is it possible to calculate sqrt of a dimension in TeX? E.g. for a
dimen=0.5pt, I would like 0.707pt to be the sqrt, and for
dimen=9.0pt, would like 3.0pt as the sqrt.
(I gave above examples for clarfying what I want. The results would
 be different if one worked in integers i.e. by converting dimen's to
 count's)

I looked in the TeXbook everywhere, and concluded that it has not
been provided. If indeed I am right, then how difficult would it be
to make it available in TeX as a primitive command. Is there any
other simple way to calculate sqrt (please, no power series, I think
it will be too much for TeX and would be too slow). 

I also wonder if there's a good reason for omitting sqrt and other
functions such as trignometric functions from TeX's repertoire.

I will appreciate any responses. thanks in advance.


-- 
Sunil Podar
SUNY at Stony Brook

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