Power Function in Java

The power function in Java is Math.pow(). It is used to get the power of the first argument to the second argument. It takes two arguments and returns the value of the first argument raised to the second argument. It returns a double type value.

The pow() function takes place in java.lang.Math.pow () library.

For example, to calculate the 5 to power 2, then it can be done as follows:

Math.pow(5,2) =25

Syntax:

where,

a is base

b is exponent

The above syntax will return the value of a^b in double data type.

Consider the following points about the power function in Java:

• It will return 1.0, if the second argument is positive or negative zero.
• It will return NaN (Not a Number), if the second argument is not a number.
• It will return the same result as the first argument, if the b (second argument) is 1.

Let's understand it with some examples:

Example 1: Calculate 5^2 Using Java Math.pow() Function

PowerFunc1.java:

Output:

25.0

Example 2: Calculate 5^(-3) Using Java Math.pow() Function

PowerFunc2.java:

Output:

0.008

Example 3: Calculate -3^5 Using Java Math.pow() Function

PowerFunc3.java:

Output:

-243.0

Example 4: Calculate 5^0 Using Java Math.pow() Function

PowerFunc4.java:

Output:

1.0

Example 5: Calculate 0.57^0.25 Using Java Math.pow() Function

PowerFunc5.java:

Output:

0.8688978326173192

In the above examples,

• The power function is used to get the value of the first argument's power to the second argument.
• The power function returns the double type value.
• The negative number can be calculated using the power function.
• The decimal number can also be calculated using the power function.
• If the second argument is zero, the result will be 1.0.
• If the second argument is not a number, it will return NaN.

How to Return Integer Type Value Using the Math.pow() Function?

We can also return the integer type value using the power function. For this, we need to explicitly cast it to Integer.

Consider the below example:

PowerFunc6.java:

Output:

25

Calculate Power of a Number Using While Loop

In Java, a while loop can effectively implement a power function, where a base is multiplied by itself until an exponent reaches zero. This method is straightforward and offers good control over the loop, making it ideal for beginners to practice both Java loops and simple mathematical operations.

Filename:

Output:

3 raised to the power of 4 is 81

Calculate Power of a Number Using do-while Loop

Algorithm:

1. Define the base and exponent. Set the result variable to 1, which is crucial for correctly accumulating the multiplication result.
2. Use a do while loop that executes the multiplication at least once before checking if the exponent has been decremented to zero.
3. Inside the loop, multiply the result by the base and decrement the exponent by 1 in each iteration.
4. The loop checks the condition after executing its body, and if the exponent reaches zero, the loop terminates.
5. After exiting the loop, print the final result.

File Name: PowerCalculator.java

Output:

2 raised to the power of 3 is 8

Calculate the Power of a Number Using a for Loop

Calculating the power of a number using a for loop in Java involves a straightforward approach where you repeatedly multiply a base number by itself for a number of times equal to the exponent. Here's how to do it, including a complete Java example:

File Name: PowerCalculator.java

Output:

2 raised to the power of 5 is 32

Calculate the power of a number using pow() function

Using the Math.pow() function in Java is a straightforward and efficient way to calculate the power of a number. This built-in method is part of the Java Math class and is used for computing the value of one number raised to the power of another. Here's how you can use it:

File Name: PowerCalculator.java

Output:

2 raised to the power of 8 is 256