Factorial()
Category: Number
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Syntax: Factorial (number {; numberOfFactors }) |
Parameters:
numberAny expression that resolves to a positive integer.
numberOfFactorsAny expression that resolves to a positive integer that represents how many factors to include in the multiplication.
Parameters in curly braces { } are optional.
Data type returned: Number
Description:
Returns the factorial of number, stopping either at 1 or stopping at the optional numberOfFactors. The factorial of a number n is defined as nx(n1)x(n2)x(n3)...x1. Factorials are useful in statistics and combinatorics. In mathematics, factorials are usually represented by an exclamation mark. 4! = Factorial (4) = 4x3x2x1 = 24.
One application of factorials is to determine how many unique ways a set of objects can be ordered. For instance, a set of three objects {A, B, C} can be ordered 3! = 6 ways: {ABC, ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB, CBA}.
Examples:
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Function |
Results |
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Factorial ( 3 ) |
Returns 6, which = 3x2x1. |
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Factorial ( 10; 3 ) |
Returns 720, which = 10x9x8. |