Math Functions

The vpython package for installed Python imports the Python math module (from math import *).

In Web VPython the following math functions are provided:

abs(x)
sqrt(x)
sin(x)
cos(x)
tan(x)
asin(x)    # arc sine
acos(x)    # arc cosine
atan(x)    # arc tangent; -pi/2 to pi/2
atan2(y,x) # angle whose tangent is y/x; -pi to pi
sqrt(x)    # square root
exp(x)     # e to the x
log(x)     # natural log, base e
log10(x)   # log base 10
pow(x,y)   # x to the power y, alternative to x**y notation
pi         # 3.14159....
ceil(x)    # round up to nearest integer
floor(x)   # round down to nearest integer
sign(x)    # +1 if x > 0, -1 if x < 0, 0 if x == 0
round(x,N) # round x to nearest integer; optional N decimal places
max(x,y,z) # the largest of x,y,z
min(x,y,z) # the smallest of x,y,z
random()   # pseudorandom number 0 to 1
factorial(x)  # x! = x*(x-1)*(x-2)....(1)
combin(x,y)   # x!/(y!*(x-y)!)
max(a,b,c,..) # maximum of these
min(a,b,c,..) # minimum of these
radians(theta) # converts theta from degrees to radians
degrees(phi)  # converts phi from degrees to radians
clock()    # from the Python time module
msclock()  # time in ms instead of s
arange()  # the numpy arange() function

Many of these are based on the JavaScript Math functions.

Although in general it is not possible to import Python modules into Web VPython programs, an exception is the random module, which has been transpiled to a JavaScript library. In Web VPython use the syntax:

import random as rr or from random import randint, uniform.