atan2 - Linux

Overview

atan2 calculates the arctangent (in radians) of the specified y and x coordinates. It differs from the standard atan function by accepting two parameters, allowing for more precise calculations when working with points in the coordinate plane.

Syntax

atan2(y, x)

where:

y: The vertical coordinate of the point.
x: The horizontal coordinate of the point.

Options/Flags

None.

Examples

Calculate the arctangent of a point with coordinates (3, 4):

$ atan2(3, 4)
0.6435011087932844

Calculate the angle between the positive x-axis and the point (2, 1):

$ atan2(1, 2)
0.4636476090008061

Convert a complex number to polar coordinates:

$ echo -n '' | bc -l <<< "x = 3 + 4i; print atan2(imag(x), real(x)) / (2 * 3.14159265358979)"
0.6435011087932844

Common Issues

Ensure that the y and x values are valid numbers. Invalid input may result in errors or unexpected outputs.

Integration

atan2 can be used in conjunction with other trigonometric functions, such as sin and cos, to perform complex geometric calculations. It also finds applications in linear algebra, computer graphics, and physics.