Don't Know where to begin

[FreshProj]

Hey, Im new to this forum but my tutor recomended I check this website out. I was just wondering if anyone could give me guidance on my current project. I have no idea where to start or what the goal is, I am completely LOST. My tutor didn't even know what this project is asking me to do, so I was hoping someone here could kinda just help me figure out the layout of the program (the steps I'll need to take)

Here's the Project:
The mathematical value e can be computed by summing the series: S1n/i ! where the sum is over the integers i in{0,1,2,3,….} Note: 0! Is defined to be 1, so the first term in the series is 1 (and so is the second). Compute e by summing 6 terms, 10 terms and 20 terms in the series. You will need to use a double value to hold your counter i, your sum and product variables. Output each of your approximations. Display the error in each approximation. Absolute_error = fabs(e-approximation) and relative_error = fabs(e-approximation)/e. Note that the abs() function in C uses an int argument and returns an int result, which is not sufficiently precise for our problem, so you must use fabs(). The correct value of e can be determined to full double precision using the exponential function exp() defined in the math.h file: exp(1) computes e1 to full machine precision.

Aside: We have not covered ANSI C output mechanism of printf. printf required a “format string” to indicate the datatypes to output and how many digits to allocate. To use it to print a real value you must provide %f (float) or %lf long float formatting. %d is used for integers.

If you use printf() for your results, you can get many decimal places of output with a format like
printf("e is %20.17lf approximation using 20 terms is %20.17lf",e,sum);

[pogrady]

How familiar are you with c++? Do you know what a "for" loop is?

This sounds stupid bits what he is asking you to do.

As far as where to start I would say this:

int main()
{



return 0;
}

[FreshProj]

yeah i have a basic understanding of C++, and the for loop we just started today in class. I do know about int main and the return 0; and i know ill need to put #include <math.h>

I guess what I'm looking for is the steps that the program will need to do inorder to complete this project. Kinda put the project in "simple English" more like a step-by-step guide or a recipe type set up. Then from there I can probably figure out the Code that will be needed.


By the way, I'm using Eclipse

[pogrady]

If you read the project description it says that you will summing values. The 'for' loop is perfect for that.

"Note: 0! Is defined to be 1, so the first term in the series is 1..."
"Compute e by summing 6 terms, 10 terms and 20 terms in the series."

You have three loops here, and the instruction tell you what the first value is.

[FreshProj]

so do I want to set the counter i to 1?

[IWishIKnew]

omg:

int number_to_add_to, sum = 0;
//i would write a prompt function to set number_to_add_to
for((int, float, double, etc...) x = 0; x <= number_to_add_to; x++)
{
    if(x == 0)
    {
        sum = (sum + 1); //because 0 is 1
        continue;
    }
    sum = (sum + x);
}

the easiest thing in the world.

[MildewyTester]

Isn't it something different, though? This is a pretty advanced program. e is actually calculate by doing 1 + 1/1! + 1/2! + 1/3!...etc. You would need to learn how to do factorials in c++ (search recursion on google) and you would have to have a predefined (perhaps set by user?) accuracy value.

[IWishIKnew]

The code I posted can be used as framework. and e can be declared as a constant, and x can be casted as a float is declared as an integer.