\Module \Math provides methods for basic trigonometric, logarithmic, and transcendental functions, and for extracting roots. You can write its constants and method calls thus: Math::PI # => 3.141592653589793 Math::E # => 2.718281828459045 Math.sin(0.0) # => 0.0 Math.cos(0.0) # => 1.0 If you include module \Math, you can write simpler forms: include Math PI # => 3.141592653589793 E # => 2.718281828459045 sin(0.0) # => 0.0 cos(0.0) # => 1.0 For simplicity, the examples here assume: include Math INFINITY = Float::INFINITY The domains and ranges for the methods are denoted by open or closed intervals, using, respectively, parentheses or square brackets: - An open interval does not include the endpoints: (-INFINITY, INFINITY) - A closed interval includes the endpoints: [-1.0, 1.0] - A half-open interval includes one endpoint, but not the other: [1.0, INFINITY) Many values returned by \Math methods are numerical approximations. This is because many such values are, in mathematics, of infinite precision, while in numerical computation the precision is finite. Thus, in mathematics, cos(π/2) is exactly zero, but in our computation cos(PI/2) is a number very close to zero: cos(PI/2) # => 6.123031769111886e-17 For very large and very small returned values, we have added formatted numbers for clarity: tan(PI/2) # => 1.633123935319537e+16 # 16331239353195370.0 tan(PI) # => -1.2246467991473532e-16 # -0.0000000000000001 See class Float for the constants that affect Ruby's floating-point arithmetic. === What's Here ==== Trigonometric Functions - ::cos: Returns the cosine of the given argument. - ::sin: Returns the sine of the given argument. - ::tan: Returns the tangent of the given argument. ==== Inverse Trigonometric Functions - ::acos: Returns the arc cosine of the given argument. - ::asin: Returns the arc sine of the given argument. - ::atan: Returns the arc tangent of the given argument. - ::atan2: Returns the arg tangent of two given arguments. ==== Hyperbolic Trigonometric Functions - ::cosh: Returns the hyperbolic cosine of the given argument. - ::sinh: Returns the hyperbolic sine of the given argument. - ::tanh: Returns the hyperbolic tangent of the given argument. ==== Inverse Hyperbolic Trigonometric Functions - ::acosh: Returns the inverse hyperbolic cosine of the given argument. - ::asinh: Returns the inverse hyperbolic sine of the given argument. - ::atanh: Returns the inverse hyperbolic tangent of the given argument. ==== Exponentiation and Logarithmic Functions - ::exp: Returns the value of a given value raised to a given power. - ::log: Returns the logarithm of a given value in a given base. - ::log10: Returns the base 10 logarithm of the given argument. - ::log2: Returns the base 2 logarithm of the given argument. ==== Fraction and Exponent Functions - ::frexp: Returns the fraction and exponent of the given argument. - ::ldexp: Returns the value for a given fraction and exponent. ==== Root Functions - ::cbrt: Returns the cube root of the given argument. - ::sqrt: Returns the square root of the given argument. ==== Error Functions - ::erf: Returns the value of the Gauss error function for the given argument. - ::erfc: Returns the value of the complementary error function for the given argument. ==== Gamma Functions - ::gamma: Returns the value of the gamma function for the given argument. - ::lgamma: Returns the value of the logarithmic gamma function for the given argument. ==== Hypotenuse Function - ::hypot: Returns sqrt(a**2 + b**2) for the given +a+ and +b+.