arctan
Units & Measurements abbreviation · Math
| Stands for | Arctangent (inverse tangent) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Units & Measurements |
arctan stands for Arctangent (inverse tangent), a math abbreviation.
Gives the angle whose tangent is a given number, with outputs strictly between −90° and 90°. It converts a slope into an angle: a 10 percent grade is arctan(0.1) ≈ 5.7°.
Example: The ramp rises 1 foot over 12 feet, an angle of arctan(1/12) ≈ 4.8°.
Usage notes
Programmers often use atan2(y, x), a two-argument version that returns the correct quadrant, from −180° to 180°. Calculators label the function tan⁻¹. The integral of 1/(1 + x²) is arctan x, and the Leibniz series π/4 = 1 − 1/3 + 1/5 − ... comes from its power series.
Related abbreviations
More math abbreviations
- AAS – Angle-Angle-Side (congruence)
- abs – Absolute value
- arccos – Arccosine (inverse cosine)
- arcmin – Arcminute
- arcsec – Arcsecond
- arcsin – Arcsine (inverse sine)
- arg – Argument (of a complex number)
- ASA – Angle-Side-Angle (congruence)
- B – Billion
- BEDMAS – Brackets, Exponents, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction
- bn – Billion
- BODMAS – Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction