Here is another important thing to know about factorials. Mathematicians agree that 0! = 1. Why? You can arrange a set of nothing, an empty set, in just one way- as one empty set.
The values in Example 2 are easy to calculate because the initial number in the factorial is small. What if you are asked to evaluate 62! using expanded form? This would be a lot of work.
Alberta Education has approved several calculators for Mathematics 30-2. In the Introduction is the URL of the Alberta Education website that lists currently approved graphing calculators. Only calculators from the approved list can be used on your exams, and diploma examinations.
All examples for this course are modeled using a T1-84 Plus graphing calculator. The steps to evaluate a factorial using this calculator are shown in Example 3. Each calculator image shows what you will see on the screen after you follow the directions in that step. This convention is followed throughout the course.
As you read the next three examples, complete the steps on your calculator . Remember that various models of calculators have different operating procedures. Contact your teacher if you have any difficulty following these examples with your calculator.