Error function is odd

Theorem

The following formula holds: $$\mathrm{erf}(-z)=-\mathrm{erf}(z),$$ where $\mathrm{erf}$ denotes the error function (i.e. $\mathrm{erf}$ is an odd function).

Proof

From the definition, $$\mathrm{erf}(x)=\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{\pi}} \displaystyle\int_0^x e^{-\tau^2} \mathrm{d}\tau.$$ So, $$\begin{array}{ll} \mathrm{erf}(-x) &= \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{\pi}} \displaystyle\int_0^{-x} e^{-\tau^2} \mathrm{d}\tau \\ &\stackrel{u=-\tau}{=} -\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{\pi}} \displaystyle\int_0^{x} e^{-u^2} \mathrm{d}u, \end{array}$$ proving that $\mathrm{erf}$ is odd. $\blacksquare$

References

• 1964: {{ #if: |{{{2}}}|Milton Abramowitz}}{{#if: Irene A. Stegun|{{#if: |, {{ #if: |{{{2}}}|Irene A. Stegun}}{{#if: |, [[Mathematician:{{{author3}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author3}}}}}]]{{#if: |, [[Mathematician:{{{author4}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author4}}}}}]]{{#if: |, [[Mathematician:{{{author5}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author5}}}}}]] and [[Mathematician:{{{author6}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author6}}}}}]]| and [[Mathematician:{{{author5}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author5}}}}}]]}}| and [[Mathematician:{{{author4}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author4}}}}}]]}}| and [[Mathematician:{{{author3}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{author3}}}}}]]}}| and {{ #if: |{{{2}}}|Irene A. Stegun}}}}|}}: [[Book:Milton Abramowitz/Handbook of mathematical functions{{#if: |/Volume {{{volume}}}|}}{{#if: |/{{{edpage}}}}}|Handbook of mathematical functions{{#if: |: Volume {{{volume}}}|}}{{#if: |: {{{eddisplay}}}|{{#if: | ({{{ed}}} ed.)}}}}]]{{#if: | (translated by [[Mathematician:{{{translated}}}|{{ #if: |{{{2}}}|{{{translated}}}}}]])}}{{#if: |, {{{publisher}}}|}}{{#if: |, ISBN {{{isbn}}}|}}{{#if: findme | ... (previous)|}}{{#if: Erf of conjugate is conjugate of erf | ... (next)|}}{{#if: |: Entry: {{#if: |[[{{{entryref}}}|{{{entry}}}]]|{{{entry}}}}}|}}: 7.1.9