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Stirling's formula

American  
[stur-lingz] / ˈstɜr lɪŋz /

noun

Mathematics.

  1. a relation that approximates the value of n factorial (n! ), expressed as .

Stirling's formula British  

noun

  1. a formula giving the approximate value of the factorial of a large number n, as n ! ( n / e ) n √(2π n )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Stirling's formula

1925–30; after James Stirling (died 1770), Scottish mathematician

Example Sentences

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Stirling’s formula is obtained by retaining the first term only.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.