PRINCIPAL OF OBJECT ORIENTED PROGRAMINING
PRACTICAL-4
AIM: write a program in C++ for function power to raise a number m to
power n. The function takes a double value for m and int value for n. Use
default value for n to make the function to calculate squares when this
argument is omitted.
Theory:
In this task, we need to create a C++ function power that raises a number
m to the power of n. The function should take a double value for m (the
base) and an int value for n (the exponent). To simplify the calculation of
squares, we'll make n a default argument with a value of 2.
Explanation
1. Default Argument: In C++, a default argument is a value provided
in the function declaration, used if no explicit value is passed for
that parameter when the function is called.
2. Function Definition: We'll use a loop or the pow function from
<cmath> to compute the power.
3. Usage: If n is not provided, the function computes the square of m
by default.
Code Implementation
#include <iostream>
#include <cmath> // For the pow function
// Function to compute m raised to the power n
double power(double m, int n = 2)
return pow(m, n); // Using the pow function from <cmath>
int main() {
// Test cases
double base;
int exponent;
// Example 1: Calculate square (default argument used)
std::cout << "Enter a number to calculate its square: ";
std::cin >> base;
std::cout << "Square of " << base << " is: " << power(base) <<
std::endl;
// Example 2: Calculate m raised to n
std::cout << "\nEnter a number (base): ";
std::cin >> base;
std::cout << "Enter an integer (exponent): ";
std::cin >> exponent;
std::cout << base << " raised to the power " << exponent << " is: "
<< power(base,
exponent) << std::endl;
return 0;
Key Points
1. The default value of n is set to 2, so calling power(m) without n
calculates the square of m.
2. The <cmath> library is used for the pow function, which efficiently
computes powers.
3. The program demonstrates both default and explicit arguments
through test cases.
Example Output
Enter a number to calculate its square: 4
Square of 4 is: 16
Enter a number (base): 2.5
Enter an integer (exponent): 3
2.5 raised to the power 3 is: 15.625