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Statistical function
GAMMA
Returns the gamma function value.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1500 · AdvancedUsage rank #397 of 520
When to use it
The gamma function, which extends the factorial to non-integers: GAMMA(n) = (n-1)!.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=GAMMA(number)
Worked examples
Integer
=GAMMA(5) → 24
Four factorial.
Half
=GAMMA(0.5) → 1.772453851
The square root of pi.
Non-integer
=GAMMA(2.5) → 1.329340388
A non-integer value.
Worth knowing
- GAMMALN is safer for large arguments because it does not overflow.
- Appears in the normalizing constants of the gamma, beta, and t distributions.
- GAMMA(n+1) equals FACT(n).
Where it goes wrong
- #NUM! for 0 or negative integers.
- Overflows to #NUM! above about 171.6.
Related
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