---
title: "Arbitrary Functions"
type: "article"
slug: "arbitrary-functions"
url: "http://localhost/article/arbitrary-functions/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/arbitrary-functions.md"
published_at: "2026-11-03T10:18:23+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-11-03T10:20:00+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "Not all real functions can be conveniently expressed as an algebraic formula, of course. Sometimes we only have values from a graph or table that we have to integrate. In this case, we can store a function values in an array; with a 2K machine it is not unreasonable to store a function with 100…"
post_tag:
  - name: "TS 1000"
    slug: "ts1000"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ts1000/"
model:
  - name: "Timex/Sinclair 1000"
    slug: "ts-1000"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/ts-1000/"
publication_r:
  id: 10245
  title: "SyncWare News"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/syncware-news/"
volume: "1"
issues_articles:
  - id: 38991
    title: "SyncWare News v1"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/syncware-v1/"
pages: "109"
pubdate: "June 1983 – June 1984"
archive_link: false
---

# Arbitrary Functions

Not all real functions can be conveniently expressed as an algebraic formula, of course. Sometimes we only have values from a graph or table that we have to integrate. In this case, we can store a function values in an array; with a 2K machine it is not unreasonable to store a function with 100 data points. The following program will integrate an arbitrary function, with resolution limited only be available memory space. After the program is a sample run illustrating a possible application. You can SAVE the program and data to tape by pressing “S” when output appears.

```
   2 SLOW
   5 PRINT TAB 11;"[illegible]";TAB 10;"[illegible]"
  10 PRINT ,,"NO. OF DIVS (MUST BE EVEN)=";
  15 INPUT D
  20 IF INT (D/2)<>D/2 THEN GOTO 15
  25 PRINT D
  30 DIM A(D+1)
  40 PRINT "X(0)=";
  50 INPUT X0
  60 PRINT X0
  70 PRINT "X(F)=";
  80 INPUT XF
  90 PRINT XF
 100 PRINT ,,"INPUT FUNCTION VALUES";AT 20,0;"DIV  X=","Y="
 110 FOR B=0 TO D
 115 LET X=X0+(XF-X0)*B/D
 120 SCROLL
 130 PRINT AT 21,31;" ";AT 21,0;B;TAB 4;X;AT 21,16;"?"
 140 INPUT A(B+1)
 145 PRINT AT 21,16;A(B+1)
 150 NEXT B
 160 FAST
 170 PAUSE 40000
 200 LET C=0
 210 LET A=0
 220 LET Y=A(1)
 230 LET A=Y+A
 240 LET C=C+1
 250 LET Y=A(C+1)
 260 LET A=Y*4+A
 270 LET C=C+1
 280 LET Y=A(C+1)
 290 LET A=Y+A
 300 IF C<D THEN GOTO 230
 310 LET S=A*(XF-X0)/D/3
 320 CLS
 330 PRINT "[illegible]=";S
 340 PRINT ,,"[illegible]=";S/(XF-X0)
 350 PRINT ,,"SAVE - ""S"""
 360 PAUSE 40000
 370 IF INKEY$="S" THEN SAVE "ARBIN[illegible]"
```

```
DIV  X=     Y=

0    0      0
1    0.5    0
2    1      0
3    1.5    0
4    2      0
5    2.5    0
6    3      0
7    3.5    0
8    4      0.5
9    4.5    1.7
10   5      2.9
11   5.5    4.8
12   6      7.35
13   6.5    10.2
14   7      12.5
15   7.5    14
16   8      17.3
17   8.5    18.3
18   9      18.8
19   9.5    19.5
20   10     20.3
21   10.5   22.6
22   11     25.8
23   11.5   29.5
24   12     32.3
25   12.5   35.5
26   13     35.7
27   13.5   34.2
28   14     31.3
29   14.5   28.8
30   15     27.7
31   15.5   28.2
32   16     27.8
33   16.5   24.3
34   17     21.5
35   17.5   18.3
36   18     12.2
37   18.5   7.5
38   19     4.2
39   19.5   2.1
40   20     0.4
41   20.5   0
42   21     0
43   21.5   0
44   22     0
45   22.5   0
46   23     0
47   23.5   0
48   24     0
```

SAMPLE RUN: Let’s assume we’re interested in finding the total energy produced by a solar panel over the course of a day. We can measure the panel’s output, in watts, at regular intervals (e.g. every half-hour) to arrive at the table shown. The results show that this solar panel put out a total of 299.18 watt-hours on this particular day, with an average output of 12.466 watts over the 24-hour period.