Re: [OctDev] complex error function

[Steven G. Johnson]

On 11/20/12 9:01 PM, Daniel J Sebald wrote:
> Yet it might be desired to have complex error
> function family of functions:
>
> octave-cli:3> erfc(complex(1,pi))
> error: erfc: not defined for complex scalar
>
> Will this code work for that?

Yes.  I provide complex-argument versions of all the standard error 
functions (erf, erfc, erfcx, erfi, and w).

> If Steven's code were released as a mini C library that could be
> accessed easily and had some compile switches to use internal square
> root, sinc, etc. functions or external, that might address Jordi's
> concern about maintaining the code.

I am certainly happy to provide a four-line Makefile that compiles the 
code as a shared library and installs it.  However, as a packaging 
issue, do you really want to add a dependency to a new library that no 
one will have installed by default?

Regarding maintenance, the same effect could be achieved by simply using 
my Faddeeva.cc file as-is in Octave, coordinating bugfixes upstream 
(please!!!), and put the Octave-specific glue in a separate file.  Then 
you can easily incorporate any future updates.

Regarding Jordi's concerns, please see my response above.

--SGJ