std::sqrt

float       sqrt( float arg );

double      sqrt( double arg );

long double sqrt( long double arg );

double      sqrt( Integral arg );

Computes the square root of arg.

Parameters

Return value

If no errors occur, square root of arg (√arg), is returned.

If a domain error occurs, an implementation-defined value is returned (NaN where supported).

If a range error occurs due to underflow, the correct result (after rounding) is returned.

Error handling

Errors are reported as specified in math_errhandling.

Domain error occurs if arg is less than zero.

If the implementation supports IEEE floating-point arithmetic (IEC 60559),

• If the argument is less than -0, FE_INVALID is raised and NaN is returned.
• If the argument is +∞ or ±0, it is returned, unmodified.
• If the argument is NaN, NaN is returned

Notes

std::sqrt is required by the IEEE standard to be exact. The only other operations required to be exact are the arithmetic operators and the function std::fma. After rounding to the return type (using default rounding mode), the result of std::sqrt is indistinguishable from the infinitely precise result. In other words, the error is less than 0.5 ulp. Other functions, including std::pow, are not so constrained.

Example

#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>
#include <cerrno>
#include <cfenv>
#include <cstring>
 
#pragma STDC FENV_ACCESS ON
 
int main()
{
    // normal use
    std::cout << "sqrt(100) = " << std::sqrt(100) << '\n'
              << "sqrt(2) = " << std::sqrt(2) << '\n'
              << "golden ratio = " << (1+std::sqrt(5))/2 << '\n';
    // special values
    std::cout << "sqrt(-0) = " << std::sqrt(-0.0) << '\n';
    // error handling
    errno = 0; std::feclearexcept(FE_ALL_EXCEPT);
    std::cout << "sqrt(-1.0) = " << std::sqrt(-1) << '\n';
    if(errno == EDOM)
        std::cout << "    errno = EDOM " << std::strerror(errno) << '\n';
    if(std::fetestexcept(FE_INVALID))
        std::cout << "    FE_INVALID raised\n";
}

sqrt(100) = 10
sqrt(2) = 1.41421
golden ratio = 1.61803
sqrt(-0) = -0
sqrt(-1.0) = -nan
    errno = EDOM Numerical argument out of domain
    FE_INVALID raised

See also