Number Functions Reference

abs

Returns the absolute value of a numeric value. If the argument is not negative, the argument is returned. If the argument is negative, the negation of the argument is returned.

Arguments
Number
numeric argument whose absolute value is to be determined
Returns Numeric value of the same datatype as the input argument
The following special cases apply to this function:

acos

Returns the arc cosine of an angle, in the range of 0.0 through pi.

Arguments
Number
Numeric argument whose arc cosine is to be determined. This value can range from -1 to 1.
Returns Real - the arc tangent of the argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN or its absolute value is greater than 1, the result is NaN.

asin

Returns the arc sine of an angle, in the range of -pi/2 through pi/2.

Arguments
Number
Numeric argument whose arc sine is to be determined. This value can range from -1 to 1.
Returns Real - the arc sine of the argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:

atan

Returns the arc tangent of an angle, in the range of -pi/2 through pi/2.

Arguments
Number
Numeric argument whose arc sine is to be determined.
Returns Real - the arc tangent of the argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN, the result is NaN.
  • If the argument is zero, the result is a zero with the same sign as the argument.

ceil

Returns the smallest (closest to negative infinity) real value which is not less than the argument and is equal to a mathematical integer.
Arguments Real
Returns Real - the smallest (closest to negative infinity) floating-point value that is not less than the argument and is equal to a mathematical integer.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument value is already equal to a mathematical integer, the result is the same as the argument.
  • If the argument is positive zero or negative zero, the result is the same as the argument.
  • If the argument value is less than zero but greater than -1.0, the result is negative zero.
Note: The value of ceil(<Real>) is exactly the value of -floor(-<Real>).

cos

Returns the trigonometric cosine of an angle.
Arguments Real - an angle, in radians.
Returns Real - the cosine of the argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN or an infinity, the result is NaN.

exp

Returns Euler's number e raised to the power of a real value.
Arguments Real - the exponent to raise e to.
Returns Real -the value e exp a, where e is the base of the natural logarithms.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN, the result is NaN.
  • If the argument is positive infinity, the result is positive infinity.
  • If the argument is negative infinity, the result is positive zero.

floor

Returns the largest (closest to positive infinity) real value that is not greater than the argument and is equal to a mathematical integer.
Syntax Real = floor (Real)
Arguments Real - a value.
Returns Real - the largest (closest to positive infinity) floating-point value that is not greater than the argument and is equal to a mathematical integer.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument value is already equal to a mathematical integer, the result is the same as the argument.
  • If the argument is NaN, an infinity, positive zero, or negative zero, the result is the same as the argument.

log

Returns the natural logarithm (base e) of a numeric value.

Arguments Number - a number greater than 0.
Returns Real - the value ln argument, the natural logarithm of argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:

max(numA, numB)

Returns the greater of two numeric values. That is, the result is the argument closer to positive infinity. If the arguments have the same value, the result is that same value. If either value is NaN, the result is NaN. Unlike the numerical comparison operators, this method considers negative zero to be strictly smaller than positive zero. If one argument is positive zero and the other is negative zero, the result is positive zero (see the References in the footnotes).
Arguments
numA
numeric value A
numB
numeric value B
Returns Numeric value - the larger of the two arguments.

min(numA, numB)

Returns the smaller of two numeric values. That is, the result is the argument closer to the value of Real.MIN_VALUE . If the arguments have the same value, the result is that same value.
Arguments
numA
numeric value A
numB
numeric value B
Returns Numeric value - the smaller of the two arguments.

pow

Returns the value of the first argument raised to the power of the second argument.
Arguments

Real - the base.

Real - the exponent.

Returns Real
The following special cases apply to this function:

In the foregoing descriptions, a floating-point value is considered to be an integer if and only if it is finite and a fixed point of the method ceil or, equivalently, a fixed point of the method floor. A value is a fixed point of a one-argument method if and only if the result of applying the method to the value is equal to the value.

round

Returns the closest int to the argument. The result is rounded to a real by adding 1/2, taking the floor of the result and casting the result to type int. That is, round is equivalent to floor(num + 0.5).
Arguments
Number
numeric value to be rounded
Returns Real or Decimal value of the argument rounded to the nearest whole number. If num is Real or Int, the function returns a Real. If num is Decimal, a Decimal is returned
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN, the result is 0.
  • If the argument is negative infinity or any value less than or equal to the value of Real.MIN_VALUE , the result is equal to the value of Real.MIN_VALUE .
  • If the argument is positive infinity or any value greater than or equal to the value of Real.MAX_VALUE , the result is equal to the value of Real.MAX_VALUE .

sin

Returns the trigonometric sine of an angle.
Arguments Real - an angle, in radians.
Returns Real - the sine of the argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN or an infinity, the result is NaN.
  • If the argument is zero, the result is a zero with the same sign as the argument.

sqrt

Returns the correctly rounded positive square root of a Real value.
Arguments Real - a value.
Returns Real - the positive square root of argument. If the argument is NaN or less than zero, the result is NaN.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN or less than zero, the result is NaN.
  • If the argument is positive infinity, the result is positive infinity.
  • If the argument is positive zero or negative zero, the result is the same as the argument.
  • Otherwise, the result is the real value closest to the true mathematical square root of the argument value.

tan

Returns the trigonometric tangent of an angle
Arguments Real - an angle, in radians.
Returns Real - the tangent of the argument.
The following special cases apply to this function:
  • If the argument is NaN or an infinity, the result is NaN.
  • If the argument is zero, the result is a zero with the same sign as the argument.