MySQL POWER() Function

The POWER() function computes and returns the result of raising a base number to the power of an exponent. It is functionally identical to the POW() function.

Syntax

POWER(x, y)

Definition and Usage

• POWER(x, y) calculates xyx^y, where x is the base, and y is the exponent.
• Useful for exponential and mathematical computations in SQL queries.

Parameter Values

Technical Details

• Introduced in: MySQL 4.0
• Return Value: A floating-point or integer number, based on the inputs.

Examples

Example 1: Compute 4 raised to the second power

SELECT POWER(4, 2) AS Result;

Output:

Result
------
16

Example 2: Compute 8 raised to the third power

SELECT POWER(8, 3) AS Result;

Output:

Result
------
512

Example 3: Compute a negative base with a positive exponent

SELECT POWER(-3, 4) AS Result;

Output:

Result
------
81

Example 4: Compute a fractional base with a positive exponent

SELECT POWER(1.5, 3) AS Result;

Output:

Result
------
3.375

Example 5: Use with data from a table

If you have a table Calculations with columns Base and Exponent, compute the power for each row:

SELECT Base, Exponent, POWER(Base, Exponent) AS PowerResult
FROM Calculations;

Related Functions

• POW(): Identical to POWER().
• EXP(): Returns exe^x, where ee is the base of natural logarithms.
• LOG(): Returns the logarithm of a number.
• SQRT(): Returns the square root of a number.

The POWER() function is essential for performing exponential calculations in MySQL, and its equivalence to POW() provides flexibility in query writing.