InverseErfc[s]
gives the inverse complementary error function obtained as the solution for z in
.
InverseErfc
InverseErfc[s]
gives the inverse complementary error function obtained as the solution for z in
.
Details
- Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
- InverseErfc is also known as probit.
- Explicit numerical values are given only for real values of s between 0 and 2.
- For certain special arguments, InverseErfc automatically evaluates to exact values.
- InverseErfc can be evaluated to arbitrary numerical precision.
- InverseErfc automatically threads over lists.
- InverseErfc can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (4)
InverseErfc[0.6]Plot over a subset of the reals:
Plot[InverseErfc[s], {s, 0, 2}]Series expansion at the origin:
Series[InverseErfc[x], {x, 0, 3}, Assumptions -> x > 0]Series expansion at a singular point:
Series[InverseErfc[x], {x, 2, 2}, Assumptions -> x > 1]//NormalScope (26)
Numerical Evaluation (4)
Evaluate numerically to high precision:
N[InverseErfc[33 / 100], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
InverseErfc[0.330000000000000000000000]Evaluate InverseErfc efficiently at high precision:
InverseErfc[0.33`500]//TimingInverseErfc[0.33`2000];//TimingCompute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
InverseErfc[Interval[{1.5, 1.6}]]InverseErfc[CenteredInterval[3 / 4, 1 / 100]]Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
InverseErfc[ Around[1 / 2, 0.01]]Compute the elementwise values of an array:
InverseErfc[{{0, 1}, {1, 0}}]Or compute the matrix InverseErfc function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[InverseErfc, {{0, 1 / 2}, {1, 0}}]//FunctionExpandSpecific Values (4)
Exact results for specific arguments:
InverseErfc[0]InverseErfc[1]InverseErfc[2]Find a real root of the equation
:
f[s_] := InverseErfc[s] - 1;
szero = Solve[f[s] == 0 && 0 < s < 1, s][[1, 1, 2]]Plot[f[s], {s, 0, 2}, Epilog -> Style[Point[{szero, f[szero]}], PointSize[Large], Red]]Plot the InverseErfc function:
Plot[InverseErfc[s], {s, -4, 4}]Plot the InverseErfc function reflected about
:
Plot[InverseErfc[1 - s], {s, -4, 4}]Function Properties (8)
InverseErfc is defined for all real values from the interval
:
FunctionDomain[InverseErfc[s], s]InverseErfc takes all real values:
FunctionRange[InverseErfc[s], s, y]InverseErfc is an analytic function on its domain:
FunctionAnalytic[{InverseErfc[x], 0 < x < 2}, x]It is not analytic in general, as it has both singularities and discontinuities:
FunctionSingularities[InverseErfc[x], x]FunctionDiscontinuities[InverseErfc[x], x]InverseErfc is nonincreasing on its domain:
FunctionMonotonicity[{InverseErfc[x], 0 < x < 2}, x]InverseErfc is injective:
FunctionInjective[InverseErfc[x], x]Plot[{InverseErfc[x], -1}, {x, 0, 3}]InverseErfc is surjective:
FunctionSurjective[InverseErfc[x], x]Plot[{InverseErfc[x], -2}, {x, 0, 4}]InverseErfc is neither non-negative nor non-positive:
FunctionSign[InverseErfc[x], x]InverseErfc is neither convex nor concave:
FunctionConvexity[{InverseErfc[x], -1 < x < 1}, x]Differentiation (2)
Integration (3)
Indefinite integral of InverseErfc:
Integrate[InverseErfc[x], x]Definite integral of InverseErfc over its real domain:
Integrate[InverseErfc[x], {x, 0, 2}]Numerical approximation of the definite integral of InverseErfc:
Integrate[InverseErfc[x], {x, 0, 0.1}]Series Expansions (2)
Series expansion for InverseErfc around
:
Series[InverseErfc[x], {x, 0, 1}, Assumptions -> x > 0]Taylor expansion for InverseErfc around
:
Series[InverseErfc[x], {x, 1, 8}]Plot the first three approximations for InverseErfc around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[InverseErfc[x], {x, 1, m}], {m, 1, 5, 2}];
Plot[{InverseErfc[x], terms}, {x, -1, 3}, PlotRange -> {-3, 3}]Function Representations (3)
Primary definition of the inverse error function:
Solve[Erfc[z] == s, z]//QuietRelation to the inverse complementary error function:
Table[InverseErf[s] == InverseErfc[1 - s], {s, -1, 1, 0.01}]//UnionTraditionalForm formatting:
InverseErfc[x]//TraditionalFormApplications (1)
Properties & Relations (4)
Solve a transcendental equation:
Solve[InverseErfc[x] ^ 2 + InverseErfc[x] == 1, x]Numerically find a root of a transcendental equation:
FindRoot[InverseErfc[z] == z, {z, 1}]Compose with the inverse function:
{Erfc[InverseErfc[z]], InverseErfc[Erfc[z]]}Use PowerExpand to disregard multivaluedness of the inverse function:
PowerExpand[%]InverseErfc is a numeric function:
Attributes[InverseErfc]NumericQ[InverseErfc[1 / 2]]Possible Issues (1)
InverseErfc evaluates numerically only for
:
InverseErfc[2.3]Neat Examples (1)
Riemann surface of InverseErfc:
ParametricPlot3D[Evaluate[{Re[Erfc[wr + I wi]], Im[Erfc[wr + I wi]], wi}], {wr, -2, 2}, {wi, -2, 2}, PlotStyle -> Opacity[0.66], BoxRatios -> {1, 1, 1 / 2}]Tech Notes
Related Guides
Related Links
History
Introduced in 1996 (3.0) | Updated in 2023 (13.3)
Text
Wolfram Research (1996), InverseErfc, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InverseErfc.html (updated 2023).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1996. "InverseErfc." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2023. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InverseErfc.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1996). InverseErfc. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InverseErfc.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_inverseerfc, author="Wolfram Research", title="{InverseErfc}", year="2023", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InverseErfc.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_inverseerfc, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={InverseErfc}, year={2023}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/InverseErfc.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}