How to calculate several powers in C language

There are three ways to calculate powers: using the pow() function (fastest, but requires an external library), using a loop (simple, but inefficient), and using recursion (elegant, but may cause stack overflow).

How to use C language to calculate power

Use the pow() function directly

#include <math.h>

int main() {
    double base = 2.0;
    int exponent = 3;
    double result = pow(base, exponent);

    printf("(%f) ^ %d = %f\n", base, exponent, result);

    return 0;
}

Use loops

int main() {
    double base = 2.0;
    int exponent = 3;
    double result = 1.0;

    for (int i = 0; i < exponent; i++) {
        result *= base;
    }

    printf("(%f) ^ %d = %f\n", base, exponent, result);

    return 0;
}

Use recursion

double power(double base, int exponent) {
    if (exponent == 0) {
        return 1.0;
    } else if (exponent < 0) {
        return 1.0 / power(base, -exponent);
    } else {
        return base * power(base, exponent - 1);
    }
}

int main() {
    double base = 2.0;
    int exponent = 3;
    double result = power(base, exponent);

    printf("(%f) ^ %d = %f\n", base, exponent, result);

    return 0;
}

Which method you choose depends on performance and code readability .

• pow() function is the fastest, but it requires an external library.
• The loop method is simple, but it is inefficient for large exponent.
• The recursive approach is elegant, but it can cause stack overflow.

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