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TANH in Calligra Sheets: Hyperbolic Tangent with Examples

Trigonometric Intermediate Calligra Sheets

Calculate bounded hyperbolic-tangent outputs, verify sample inputs and build a transparent smooth-scaling example.

Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in Calligra Sheets. How formula examples are checked

Quick answer

Use =TANH(0.8) for an independently expected 0.66403677 (eight decimal places); =TANH(0) is 0. For every finite real input the mathematical result is strictly between −1 and 1.

These values and examples are expected from independent mathematical calculation. They are not observed results from the Calligra Sheets application.

Exact syntax, argument and version scope

=TANH(number)
  • number (required): A single real numeric value, calculation or reference to one numeric cell. In the KDE handbook, the signature is TANH(Float) and the parameter type is floating point; the older handbook labels it an angle in radians, but hyperbolic calculations usually treat the input as dimensionless. No optional argument, extra argument or default is documented.
  • Returns: A floating-point numerical value representing the mathematical hyperbolic tangent. Values in this guide are displayed to eight decimals, not promised exact native formatting.
  • Definition: TANH(x) = SINH(x) / COSH(x). This is a mathematical identity, independently checked by numeric evaluation; it is not a second Calligra-native test.
  • Release scope: The stable KF6 Calligra Sheets function handbook documents the one-argument syntax and a numeric example. The tagged KDE Calligra 26.08.2 trigonometry source separately registers the function and invokes calc->tgh(args[0]) in its implementation. Calligra 26.08.2 was dated October 8, 2026. Sources checked October 11, 2026. Presence in official documentation and tagged source is evidence of intended support, not proof of successful execution in every packaged installation.
  • Platform: Calligra’s official download guidance emphasizes Linux distribution packages and Flatpak; Windows support is in progress. Exact installed version, available function modules and user-interface language can differ. See Calligra downloads.

Important distinction from ordinary trigonometric functions

A hyperbolic function is defined through exponentials, not through the sine/cosine/tangent of an angle on a circle. For an ordinary degree angle you would use SIN(RADIANS(degrees)), COS(RADIANS(degrees)), or TAN(RADIANS(degrees)) instead. Do not convert your numeric x using RADIANS merely because the old handbook says “Angle (radians).” Conversion is appropriate only if the specific mathematical model provides an angle input that requires it. Here TANH(x) takes the numeric x directly.

Locale and formula entry

Enter =TANH(A2) in the formula cell (the equals sign is important). In these English examples, 0.8 is a numeric decimal; locales using a decimal comma may require different input notation. The KDE English guide often writes semicolons between parameters of multi-argument functions, but TANH takes only one, so this guide needs no parameter separator. Use the installed function picker when entering localized workbooks; no localized Calligra binary was tested.

Reproducible six-row calculation table

  1. In a blank sheet, type Input x into A1 and TANH(x) into B1.
  2. Enter the six numeric values shown below in A2:A7, one per cell. Do not type quotes around numeric entries.
  3. Enter =TANH(A2) in B2; fill down through B7 so the references advance. These formulas refer only to the inputs in column A.
  4. Display B2:B7 to eight decimal places for comparison. The expected numbers below were computed with Python’s math.tanh as a separate numerical cross-check on October 11, 2026; no Calligra runtime was used.
Row A: Numeric input x B: Fill-down formula Expected result (8 d.p.)
2 -2 =TANH(A2) -0.96402758
3 -1 =TANH(A3) -0.76159416
4 0 =TANH(A4) 0.00000000
5 0.8 =TANH(A5) 0.66403677
6 1 =TANH(A6) 0.76159416
7 2 =TANH(A7) 0.96402758

Interpretation: Hyperbolic tangent is an odd and smoothly saturating function: positive x gives positive results, negative x gives negatives. Large positive x approaches +1; large negative x approaches −1 without attaining either value in exact mathematics. These are rounded expected values, not native program screenshots or measured spreadsheet outputs.

A second check without using TANH directly

TANH(x) may also be checked as SINH(x)/COSH(x). The mathematical range is (-1,1) for finite real x; note that displaying eight decimals may mask this distinction near saturation. For real x, TANH(-x)=-TANH(x).

Advanced application: smooth, bounded scaling of a numeric signal

Suppose you want an illustrative smooth limiter whose output approaches −100 or +100 as a numeric input grows. Use the formula 100 × TANH(input/10). Place the input values −20, −10, 0, 10, 20 in E2:E6, and enter this formula in F2:

=100*TANH(E2/10)

Copy it to F6. Independently calculated expected outputs are approximately −96.402758, −76.159416, 0, 76.159416, and 96.402758. A larger divisor softens the response: changing 10 to 20 makes the output rise more gradually. The arbitrary factors 100 and 10 are parameters of this example, not properties or defaults of TANH.

This transformation is useful for visualizing a bounded response, but is not a probability estimate, risk score, or physical measurement unless a separate validated model establishes that interpretation. For an algebraic check, =TANH(LN(2)) should be 0.6 because (2−1/2)/(2+1/2)=3/5.

Troubleshooting, errors and numerical limits

  • Mixing up TAN and TANH: TAN is circular trigonometry and has poles; TANH is hyperbolic, continuous and bounded for real numbers. The latter does not need degrees-to-radians conversion for a generic numeric argument.

  • Exactly ±1 displayed: For large magnitudes, rounding may display 1 or −1. The exact mathematical function only approaches those boundaries. Floating-point implementations may also round to a boundary; do not infer invertibility at a rounded endpoint.

  • Incorrect inverse: ATANH is the hyperbolic inverse, with a real input domain strictly inside (−1, 1); ATAN is not its inverse.

  • Very large arguments: A native library may return a rounded saturated value or exhibit implementation-specific overflow behavior. No Calligra-native boundary testing was performed, so do not promise its exact extreme-input behavior.

  • Scale mistakes: In 100*TANH(A2/10), the 100 scales the output while the 10 scales the input. Verify both before filling a formula over a table.

  • Formula entered as text or with an unexpected value: Start a numeric formula with = and reference numeric cells. Values imported with units such as "2 units" are text, not documented numeric parameters; coercion and exact error codes can depend on locale and software version.

  • Unexpected parsing or localized decimal marks: These examples use the English-language dot decimal mark and Calligra’s English documentation. In a locale with decimal commas, type inputs using the installed numeric convention. The official English examples separate arguments with semicolons where applicable; these three functions each accept exactly one argument, so no separator is required in their immediate calls.

  • Result looks rounded, truncated, or stale: Increase column width, apply suitable numeric precision, and check the spreadsheet’s recalculation setting. Formatting does not change the mathematical definition. Do not assume a particular error dialog or return code without running the installed version.

  • Floating-point differences: Expect small machine-precision discrepancies versus the rounded examples, especially after chaining multiple functions. These example values are for numerical verification within a sensible tolerance, not exact string equality.

Excel and LibreOffice Calc compatibility

Microsoft Excel and LibreOffice Calc also document this same one-argument hyperbolic function, so the fundamental real-number mathematical definition is compatible. A formula entered as =TANH(A2) is conceptually portable, with ordinary caveats for localized decimal marks, workbook import/export, text-to-number coercion, finite precision and application-specific error handling. No workbook was opened or evaluated in either other spreadsheet program; compatibility here is documentation-checked, not integration-tested.

The corresponding official references are Microsoft Excel TANH and LibreOffice Calc mathematical functions. On another system, review the version-specific function list rather than assuming numerical formatting or import behavior matches exactly.

These official references were accessed 2026-10-11. Related links were checked as documentation references; internal proposed URL /calligra/functions/tanh/ is not live or link-verified. No new page has been approved or published.

Official reference and verification

Verification status: Official documentation checked; example outcomes were independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where applicable. Not executed in Calligra Sheets.

  • No genuine Calligra Sheets screenshots are included; this guide does not use mock application images.