What is error function ?

[Saint]

In heat transfer, some formulae are expressed in error function. what is it ?

How do we get the equation for error function ?[?]

[On Radioactive Waves]

Isn't the error function e -x 2 ? Thats all I know....

[Guybrush Threepwood]

try this (http://functions.wolfram.com/GammaBetaErf/Erf/)

[KLscilevothma]

Originally posted by On Radioactive Waves
Isn't the error function e -x 2 ? Thats all I know....
I've heard it's called imaginary error function in full.

[Hurkyl]

Almost... erf(x) is:

erf(x) = (2 / sqrt(π)) ∫0..x e-x2 dx

It's immediate use is that it's the integral of a gaussian distribution, so it's directly applicable to statistical problems.

More generally, I understand that a lot of nonelementary functions can be expressed in terms of combinations of elementary functions and error functions, so erf expands the expressive power of closed forms.

[plus]

It comes up when solving some differential equations, and it is thus good to have tabulated.

[quartodeciman]

Here is a tad bit more ---->

Gaussian, Error and Complementary Error function (http://ece-www.colorado.edu/~bart/book/gaussian.htm)