+118608 Mmm Thanks Pyramid, that is a really good question. One that I will have problems answering but here goes :)
If you graph y=x! (where x is a integer greater or equal to zero) you get a graph of points.
If you draw a smooth curve between these points so that the graph is continuous then you will have all positive values of x (x>=1) and all values of y (y>=1) included.
So now you can read 2.4! off the graph.
The gamma functions has values outside this domain as well but i don't understand it well enough to explain those.
I don't think my explanation is very accurate. But it probably gives you as much of an idea as I possess. :)
There is of course a proper formula for n! where n is not an integer but I am not going there. :/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_function
Any better explanation will be gratefully received. :)
+23246 Use gamma functions. This site http://mhtlab.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me755/web_chap1.pdf has an explanation, starting on page 7.
+118608 Mmm Thanks Pyramid, that is a really good question. One that I will have problems answering but here goes :)
If you graph y=x! (where x is a integer greater or equal to zero) you get a graph of points.
If you draw a smooth curve between these points so that the graph is continuous then you will have all positive values of x (x>=1) and all values of y (y>=1) included.
So now you can read 2.4! off the graph.
The gamma functions has values outside this domain as well but i don't understand it well enough to explain those.
I don't think my explanation is very accurate. But it probably gives you as much of an idea as I possess. :)
There is of course a proper formula for n! where n is not an integer but I am not going there. :/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_function
Any better explanation will be gratefully received. :)
