sign

Sign of a number.

Syntax

Y = sign(X)

Description

For real X, returns +1, 0, or -1 depending on sign. For complex X, returns X / abs(X) (a unit-magnitude complex number with the same direction). Returns 0 for X = 0.

Examples

sign(-5)                   % -1
sign(0)                    % 0
sign(3 + 4i)               % 0.6 + 0.8i

See also

• abs — Absolute value.
• real — Real part of a complex number.
• imag — Imaginary part of a complex number.