OpenVMS VAX RTL Mathematics (MTH$) Manual

This document is the OpenVMS VAX RTL Mathematics (MTH$) Manual, Version 7.3, published in April 2001 by Compaq Computer Corporation. It serves as a comprehensive guide for system and application programmers using the OpenVMS VAX operating system to access mathematics routines within the MTH$ facility of the Run-Time Library.

The manual is structured into tutorial and reference sections:

• Part I (Tutorial Section): Provides introductory information and guidelines for using MTH$ scalar and vector routines. It covers topics like entry point names, calling conventions, algorithms, condition handling, complex numbers, and includes examples for various programming languages (BASIC, COBOL, Fortran, MACRO, Pascal, PL/I, Ada). It also details the four sets of vector routines: Basic Linear Algebra Subroutines (BLAS) Level 1, First Order Linear Recurrence (FOLR) routines, vector versions of existing scalar routines, and fast-vector math routines.
• Part II (Scalar MTH$ Reference Section): Offers detailed descriptions of individual scalar mathematics routines.
• Part III (Vector MTH$ Reference Section): Provides detailed descriptions of the BLAS Level 1 and FOLR routines.
• Appendices: List additional MTH$ routines (less frequently used) and a table of vector MTH$ routine entry points callable from VAX MACRO.

The document emphasizes that these routines are designed for programs producing native code for VAX hardware and are accessible from several compiled high-level languages and interpreted languages. It also explains data type prefixes, argument passing conventions, and how error conditions are signaled.